Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

843: Marek Romanowski on Contemporary Sonatas

Marek Romanowski recently released his first CD.  Titled Contemporary Sonatas for double bass and piano, this release features music by Sofia Gubaidulina, Lowell Liebermann and Frank Proto.

We talk about how he chose the pieces for this release, how the pandemic has been for Marek, plans for the future, and much more.  Enjoy, and be sure to follow along with Marek on his website, Facebook, and Instagram!

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Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.

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Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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.

Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

Ear Trumpet Labs – They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design — the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!

Contrabass Conversations production team:

499: Marek Romanowski

Marek Romanowski and I were housemates during the Bradetich Competition back in the fall of 2017.  He and I spent some great nights with our hosts chatting about bass, music, Texas, Poland, and all sorts of other topics.

Ever since the competition, I have become such a fan of his playing.  Marek won the Sperger Competition in 2016 and was one of the finalists for the Bradetich Competition in 2017.  We also put out an interview and performance excerpt video on YouTube as well as a podcast episode titled Four Bassists that will Change the World.

We talk about nerves, how to set yourself up for success in a competition, how competitions relate to auditions, what Marek does the day of a big event, his position with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and much more!

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Robertson & Sons Violins

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.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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