International Guests

416: Milton Masciadri on being a UNESCO Artist for Peace

I’ve been looking forward to chatting with Milton Masciadri for quite some time!

Milton is Distinguished University Professor of the University of Georgia and is a UNESCO Artist for Peace. He has been highly involved in the international double bass community for over 30 years.

More About Milton:

Milton Masciadri is a third generation of double bass player. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, he began his studies with his father and by age 17 was Co-principal Bassist with the Porto Alegre Symphony in Brazil. At 19, he was already on the faculty at Brazil’s Federal University. He completed his Master’s and Doctorate Degrees with work under Gary Karr, Julius Levine and Lawrence Wolfe.Continue Reading …

415: Alexandra Scott on Simon Rattle, German bow, and preparation

I’m thrilled to be chatting today with Alexandra Scott! Alexandra plays bass in the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, and she was a headliner for the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention.

More About Alexandra:

Born in Somerset, England, Alexandra Scott began her studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School in London. Later, whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music, she became a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Mahler Youth Orchestra and the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra. She completed her bachelor of music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with “First-Class Honours” under Rinat Ibragimov.Continue Reading …

411: Elsen Price on world music

It was a treat to sit down and chat with world music bassist Elsen Price for the podcast! Elsen is based in Sydney, Australia and is incredibly active as a solo and collaborative artist.

377: Alexis Cuadrado on technique, composition, and 21st-century careers

Barcelona-born Alexis Cuadrado is one of New York’s most sought-after musicians.

In addition to performing as a sideman with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour, Dianne Reeves, Omara Portuondo, Steve Wilson and Seamus Blake, Alexis maintains a thriving career as a composer and educator.

I had the chance to see Alexis at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and it was great to catch up with him for this deep dive into his craft.

This episode is divided into three parts:

Part 1 – discovering François Rabbath
- starting to play upright in Barcelona and developing severe tendinitis
- trying to “start the house from the roof instead of the foundation”
- meeting Barry Green – the link to Francois
- the benefits of “starting from the beginning” with Rabbath
Part 2 – the language of jazz
- improvisation
- composition
- approaches with students
- work habits
Part 3 – 21st-century careers
- multiple income streams
  multiple skills sets
  how you present yourself to the world – what’s your outlook?
- moving to New York