It has been such a pleasure getting to know Charles Chandler since moving to San Francisco! In addition to playing in the San Francisco Symphony, Charles teaches at the San Francisco Academy Orchestra and is an active soloist and chamber musician.
Charles is actively involved with the Golden Gate Bass Camp and other Bay Area double bass events and is a champion of new and previously undiscovered works for the double bass.
More About Charles:
Bassist Charles Chandler has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony since 1992. Prior to his current position, he was Associate Principal Bass and Soloist with the Phoenix Symphony. He also served as Principal Bass of the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra and the New York 20th Century Chamber Players.
His primary teachers were Shinji Eshima of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and David Walter at the Juilliard School. His numerous honors and awards include the San Francisco Symphony Pepsi Cola Young Musician Award, the Pittenger Scholarship, the Irving Klein Scholarship, and first prize in the A.S.T.A. National String Competition.
Upon receiving his Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard in 1987, Charles Chandler was selected to perform as a member of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. Playing with Marin Symphony, he has enjoyed performing with his wife Van, a violinist.
He also performs at the Music@Menlo Festival and Chamber Music Sundaes series and frequently records at Skywalker Ranch. Mr. Chandler resides in San Francisco with his wife and their daughter Julie. When not playing on his 1750 double bass made by the Venetian luthier, Domenico Busan, he enjoys organic gardening, bicycling, hiking and spending time with his family.
Music Featured on this Episode:
- Rossini Duetto – 1st Movement (Charles Chandler and Amos Yang, recital live in Davies Hall, 2014)
- Francesco Burlone Sonata No. 8 for Two Basses “The Ferrret” – Mov. 1 Allegro Appassionato – with Charles Chandler & Mark Wright, double bass
- Francesco Burlone – Prelude to Act III from the opera “Phoebus and Daphne” arranged by the composer for cello and 2 double basses (Amos Yang, Mark Wright, and Charles Chandler, recital live in Davies Hall)
- Francesco Burlone “Gambo d’ amore” from the opera “La Vigna Incantevole” for Bass and Piano (Sujeevah Hapugalle, piano)
- Francesco Burlone “O! Mie Stelle” from the opera “Galileo” for bass and piano (Sujeevah Hapugalle, piano)
- Pierre-Louis Hus Desforges Sonata for Cello and bass (with Amos Yang live in Davies Hall)
Links to Check Out:
- Charles’ website
- Charles’ San Francisco Symphony page
- Charles’ San Francisco Academy Orchestra page
- Shinji Eshima Interview (Shinji taught Charles during high school)
Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:
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