Kassinger, Robert

He is a double bass player born in Boulder, Colorado who started his studies in bass at the University of Colorado and went on to earn his Bachelor of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. He took further studies at Indiana University. While still a student he served as Principal Bass of the New York String Seminar for two years. He was also a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival for two summers.

He works as an orchestral, chamber, alternative rock and jazz musician who has worked as a jazz player with Kenny Burrell, Conte Candoli, Teddy Edwards, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Branford and Wynton Marsalis and Charlie Rouse among others. He toured India with the Chicago Jazz Express in 1998 and 2000. As an alternative rock musician his group NYCO has released it’s debut album.

As an orchestral musician he was a section bass payer with the New Orleans Symphony and Assistant Principal Bass for the Colorado Symphony. In 1993 he became a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician he has performed with Ars Viva, Daniel Barenboim, the Callisto Ensemble, the Fine Arts Quartet, Fulcrum Point, Yo-Yo Ma, Music of the Baroque, Orion Ensemble, Revolution Ensemble and the Silk Road Ensemble. He has played on the CSO’s MusicNow series and performed on several radio broadcasts.

Recordings he has performed on include Brazilian Rhapsody and Musica De Las Americas by Daniel Barenboim, Arnold Schonberg: Verklarte Nacht Op. 4/Piano Pieces Op. 11 & 19, Five Orchestral Pieces Op. 16, Wagner: Overtures and Preludes, Carter/Berio/Takemitsu – Partita-Continuo-Visions and Brahms: Violin Concerto: Sonata No,. 3 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Burstin’ Out by Chicago Jazz Orchestra and Cyrille Aimee, Sentimental War by Just Desserts, Instant Groove by Bobby Lewis, Halloween by Mannheim Steamroller, Always in My Heart by Bill Overton, George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess by Clark Terry and the film soundtrack of Lincoln.

In the field of musical education he has been a Coach and Master Clinician for the International Society of Bassists, Canton International Summer Music Academy, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. He has been a guest instructor at Indiana University and is on the faculty of DePaul University as an Adjunct Professor of Double Bass.

Sources:

Kassinger, Robert

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