CBC 108: Dan Krekeler interview part 2

We’re concluding our interview (check out part 1 here) with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bassist Dan Krekeler this week on the podcast. John Grillo of classicalmusicnews.tv and I co-interviewed Dan, which was particularly cool since we’ve both known Dan for many years. I played with Dan in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and John went to… Continue reading CBC 108: Dan Krekeler interview part 2

CBC 106: Dan Krekeler interview

We’re featuring an interview with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bassist Dan Krekeler this week on the podcast. John Grillo of classicalmusicnews.tv and I co-interviewed Dan, which was particularly cool since we’ve both known Dan for many years. I played with Dan in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and John went to Indiana University with him as… Continue reading CBC 106: Dan Krekeler interview

CBC 63: Chatting About Opera and Orchestra Bass Playing with John Grillo

Contrabass Conversations regular contributor and classicalmusicnews.tv blogger John Grillo and I recorded a follow-up episode to our recent Opera Excerpt Breakdown episode. In this episode we chat a little more generally about opera bass playing and how it differs from orchestral bass playing. John has played for numerous opera companies in the past, including the… Continue reading CBC 63: Chatting About Opera and Orchestra Bass Playing with John Grillo

CBC 62: Opera Excerpt Breakdown with John Grillo

This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an in-depth analysis of the double bass opera excerpts most commonly requested at auditions. Double bassist (and regular Contrabass Conversations guest and co-host) John Grillo discusses each of these excerpts–stylistic considerations, differences in articulation and bow strokes, and suggestions for effectively learning them–and then performs them. We believe that… Continue reading CBC 62: Opera Excerpt Breakdown with John Grillo