Barry Lieberman

685: Barry Lieberman on retirement and bass legends

After 30 years at the University of Washington, Barry Lieberman is retiring. I’ve had Barry on the podcast several times in the past, and we had an engaging chat about the hefty list of bass players that he has brought to the university for his Barry Lieberman and Friends series.

We also chatted about a wide variety of videos and artists, including:

This episode was recorded on March 10, 2020, and I congratulate Barry on his accomplishment!

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CBC 160: Barry Lieberman Interview

Barry Lieberman – University of Washington Artist in Residence and Double Bass Faculty

This week, we’re featuring an interview with double bassist Barry Lieberman. The former Assistant Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Principal Bass of the Winnipeg Symphony, Barry now serves as co-director of The American String Project, an innovative string ensemble which features arrangements of string quartets for small string ensemble with double bass.

In this interview, we discuss Barry’s recent TASP CD release on MSR Classics, his orchestral solo tutorials on his YouTube channel, upcoming possible future video projects, and designing a bass rosin that really works.

Order the new recording from The American String Project here (MSR Classics).

Check out Barry Lieberman’s Bass Tutorials here.

CBC 140: The American String Project – The Process of Collaboration

The following video (25 min.) is a behind-the-scenes documentary about The American String Project, the innovative string ensemble which we have profiled previously on the podcast and blog.

Artistic director (and former Contrabass Conversations guest) Barry Lieberman describes the documentary as follows:

We have produced a documentary about the Project, created from extensive film footage of our May 2009 concert week. Being able to show how we work, rehearse, and perform to those who have never experienced the Project in person will be a very valuable tool for us. There are many sequences showing our rehearsal process as well as interviews with some of our musicians.

Enjoy the following video, and be sure to visit the website for more extensive information:

Part 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwKsT3gb-A

Part 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCxuRUfnxK0

Part 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jpumLcKGU8

CBC 139: The American String Project

This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features a follow-up interview with bassist Barry Lieberman, double bass faculty at the University of Washington and artistic director of The American String Project, an ensemble that specializes in performing string chamber orchestra arrangements of quartet literature.

Barry was previously interviewed on Contrabass Conversations in 2008, and on that occasion we discussed his early years on the instrument, his career in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and subsequent move to Seattle, and many other topics. We focus on recent developments with The American String Project in this episode, including their recent selection as “Pick of the Month” for all North American releases of classical music discs in the August issue of the BBC Music Magazine (more details on the String Project website).

This fascinating and virtuosic ensemble also recently produced a documentary detailing what happens behind the scenes each year with the String Project, and it is a well-produced and highly engaging glimpse into the workings of some of the world’s finest leaders in the string world in a rare collaborative setting. You can see it now on the TASP website, and we will be releasing the entire video on the podcast next week as well.

One of our most popular offerings on Contrabass Conversations since its inception has been Barry’s interview with Gary Karr for his Barry Lieberman and Friends series at the University of Washington. You’re in for a real treat if you haven’t seen this in the past–check it out!

We’ve featured a great deal of String Project music on both the blog and the podcast–so much in fact, that I decided to put together a PDF listing everything that we’ve used (in some fashion) here:

American String Project music featured on doublebassblog.org.pdf

Today’s episode features an excerpt from the String Quartet Op. 18, No. 4 Mvt. 4 (Allegro) by Beethoven and the complete Allegro Non Troppo movement from the String Quartet #3 In F, Op. 73 by Shostakovich. You can also check out all the works that the String Project has performed on their page within doublebassblog.org.

In addition to his musical pursuits, Barry has a passion for mid-20th century furniture, and we’ve included several photos below that show his furnishings from this period (click “read more” if you don’t see the photos):

CBC 91: Barry Lieberman interview part 2

Barry Lieberman double bass 2.jpg

We’re concluding our interview with double bassist Barry Lieberman. The former Assistant Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Principal Bass of the Winnipeg Symphony, Barry now serves as co-director of The American String Project, an innovative string ensemble which features arrangements of string quartets for small string ensemble with double bass.

On today’s episode, Barry (pictured here with his John Lott double bass) discusses the arranging process that he goes through for the American String Project, his recording of the Vivaldi Cello Sonatas, and his beautiful Maggini bass.

About Barry:

Barry Lieberman is now in his sixteenth year as double bass faculty at the University of Washington. He began his career at age 21 as principal bass of the Winnipeg Symphony. In 1976 Zubin Mehta appointed him associate principal bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a post he held for sixteen years.

Lieberman has been a regular performer with Chamber Music Northwest, Music From Angel Fire, the International Festival in Seattle, Bravo Colorado, Bargemusic, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, and Mostly Mozart, and served as Principal Bass of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, Colorado. Most recently Lieberman performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, both in New York City and on tour in Europe. He has also performed with and toured the Far East, Europe, and the U.S. with the Mostly Mozart chamber orchestra.