Stuart Riley has led a multifaceted and inspiring musical life as a bassist. Both in the United Kingdom, Stuart moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and worked as a freelancer in all sorts of ensembles. He took a permanent position with Orchestra Victoria in 2017 as Principal Double Bass. Also, Stuart has a wide array of interests, and he has provided a wealth of information regarding orchestral auditions and musical development on his website.
We got together in person during my trip to Australia and dug into his background, a fascinating article that covered how he ended up with his bass, the highs and lows of freelancing, the unique setup of Orchestra Victoria, and much more. Enjoy!
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Contrabass Conversations production team:
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