Interview and Solo Performance with Newest tutor, Phoebe Russell

In this video, we meet the newest tutor to join the DDB faculty, the renowned bassist and educator Phoebe Russell. She is a virtuosic soloist, performer, and educator from Melbourne, Australia. Since 2017, Phoebe has been the principal double bassist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She is also regularly invited as a guest principal at prestigious orchestras, including the Australian World Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, working under conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Daniel Barenboim, and Zubin Mehta.

In our discussion, we cover a lot of ground, including studying with Gary Karr, playing with the Berlin Phil, technique issues such as collapsed fingers, advice for young bassists, playing 5 string basses, and much more.

At the end of the video, Phoebe is joined by pianist Gemma Beeson for a stunning performance of an excerpt from Jan Křtitel Vaňhal's Double Bass Concerto. It’s a firey and expressive performance that showcases Phoebe’s virtuosic technique and sophisticated musicality. Also, for the bass geeks among us (me included!), it’s interesting to hear my double bass played with Belcanto strings in solo tuning. They really sing in Phoebe’s hands!

If you enjoy this video, be sure to let us know in the comments and make our newest member of the DDB family welcome.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction
01:05 Current projects
01:48 Double bass inspiration
02:38 Gary Karr - Please note that this video was filmed before the passing of Harmon Lewis in January 2023.
04:12 German bow
04:55 Playing standing or sitting
05:56 Karr camp
07:28 German bass scene
09:07 Berlin Philharmonic
04:20 Left hand technique
15:18 Collapsing fingers
16:17 Left hand essentials
17:55 Five String basses
19:38 Advice for young orchestral bassists
21:51 Vaňhal's Double Bass Concerto Performance

Phoebe Russell Links:

Instagram
Facebook
QSO

Smash Your Audition!

by Phoebe Russell

Smash Your Audition! is an incredible online course by the acclaimed bassist and educator Phoebe Russell. The course is designed for intermediate to advanced classical bassists looking for a fresh approach to orchestral and solo double bass playing. If you're preparing for an audition or want to improve in all areas of your double bass playing, it's a great fit!

The course comprises 32 online lessons over three hours and 25 minutes of video, with downloadable sheet music. Lessons cover a wide range of topics on classical bass to help you prepare for an audition by focusing on advanced techniques, musical concepts and mental preparation. Concepts and techniques are demonstrated with 6 popular excerpts from the orchestral and 1 from the solo repertoire. These lessons are designed to help you play with more confidence, musical freedom and personal expression.