Gulbenkian Orchestra principal bassist Marc Ramirez
Today we are featuring an interview with Marc Ramirez. Originally from New York, Marc is the principal bassist with the Gulbenkian Orchestra of Lisbon, Portugal. Marc and I had a great conversation about his path to this job overseas, where he has now been for 17 years. We talk about similarities and differences in American and European orchestras, auditioning, traveling with a bass, his beautiful Cavani bass, and many other topics. We also feature excerpts from Marc’s performance of the Bottesini Grande Duo Concertante para Violino e Contrabaixo with Bin Chao on violin.
Up Magazine recently did a great profile on Marc covering his journey from the United States to Portugal, touring with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and many other topics. Marc will also be performing the European premiere of the Harbison Bass Concerto in May of 2016. Enjoy!
This was a fabulous interview! I loved hearing Marc’s career story, his comparisons of orchestral life in Europe and the US, plus his assessment of the audition scene in Europe – chock full of great information. Bravo!
He’s such an interesting guy–his perspective as an expat is really thought-provoking!