It was a pleasure to chat with Anthony Manzo about his career as a chamber music double bassist, traveling with a bass (always an adventure!), the unique qualities of Anthony’s bass, and much more.
A special shout-out to Eric Roy of Upton Bass for connecting me with Anthony for this conversation!
About Anthony Manzo:
Anthony Manzo enjoys performing in a broad variety of musical forums – despite the ever-present complications of travel with a double bass! An artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Mr. Manzo is sought-after chamber musician who performs regularly at such noted venues as Lincoln Center in NYC, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, Bay Chamber Concerts in Rockport, Maine, and the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In addition, Mr. Manzo is also the Solo Bassist of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra, and a regular guest artist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Smithsonian Chamber Society near his home in Washington DC. Formerly the Solo Bassist of the Munich Chamber Orchestra, he has also been a frequent guest with Camerata Salzburg in Austria, where collaborations have included their summer residency at the Salzburg Festival, as well as two tours as double bass soloist alongside bass/baritone Thomas Quasthoff in Mozart’s “Per questa bella mano” (with performances in Salzburg, Paris, Vienna, Budapest, and Istanbul).
Links to Check Out:
- Anthony’s University of Maryland page
- Anthony’s Kennedy Center page
- about Anthony’s removable neck conversion from Upton Bass
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.
Upton Bass String Instrument Company
Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.
An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.
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