Tell us about your future projects.
I always have many ideas and plans, some are possible and likely to happen, and some are dreams, but you are never too old to dream. At the moment, I have a wish list of pieces that I have never had the opportunity to play in a concert for one reason or another. The various lockdowns over the past 16 months have allowed me to learn some of these pieces, of which there are about twelve, and as the art world returns to a kind of normality, I’ll start to plan concerts to feature all of them.
Prima Facie Records have asked me to record a CD of Czech music, one of my great musical passions, and at the moment I am putting together the programme which will feature some of my favourite Czech bass composers. Having studied in Prague between 1986-91, I learned much of the solo repertoire that my teacher played and, to date, the CD will include music by Simandl, Kuchynka, Mišek, Černý, Hipman and Láska.
One dream is to give a recital at Carnegie Hall in New York with my wife Sarah, including some of my own music, alongside that of friends and some of my favourite pieces from the standard solo repertoire. I have no idea if this will ever become a reality, but it’s good to have dreams, no matter how unlikely they are, and I always tell my students to aim high. I love the quote by Norman Vincent Peale, “Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
My main plan is to found a Bass Academy for players of all ages and abilities, primarily to create opportunities for young bassists. I didn’t teach beginners for a long time, but over the past few years, I have taught a few and absolutely love it! They have allowed me to write solo and ensemble music for younger players, and they soak up the knowledge and information like a sponge and are so wonderfully positive and enthusiastic. The Bass Academy will include a mini-bass project, offering free lessons for young bassists for a year, and each month there will be an informal concert and workshop. This will allow me to write more music for younger bassists, encourage friends to write beginner music, and create a vibrant bass community for players of all ages.
Website: recitalmusic.net
