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College of Arts and Humanities

Bruce Bransby

Lecturer

Music

bbransby@csufresno.edu

Education

Courses Taught

Bruce Bransby, recently retired professor of double bass at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, was principal double bass with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, and Andre Previn, having served as principal double bass with the Kansas City Symphony before that. He studied with Nat Gangursky, Peter Mercurio, and Stuart Sankey. Professor Bransby performs widely as soloist and chamber player and has premiered numerous works, including several concertos for the double bass. While in Los Angeles, he was active in studio recordings for motion pictures and television. He was a faculty member at California State University Northridge, the University of Missouri at Kansas City, the California Music Center, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, and was a performing member of the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival from 1987 through 2017. His students hold positions in many of the world's finest symphony orchestras, among them the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony. 

Professional Profile
  • 2013 – present, Artist-Faculty, FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy 
  • 2012 – present, Instructor, Fresno State Department of Music 
  • 1986 – 2018 (retirement), Professor, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music 
  • 1987 – 2017 Artist-Faculty, Aspen Music Festival and School. Principal Double Bass, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Aspen Chamber Symphony; lessons, master classes, chamber music 
  • 1978 – 1986 Principal Double Bass, Los Angeles Philharmonic 
  • 1978 – 1986 Principal Double Bass, major motion picture and television studios (MGM, Paramount, Fox, and Disney Studios), Los Angeles. 
  • 1982 – 1986 Faculty, Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute 
  • 1979 – 1985 Faculty (adjunct), California State University, Northridge 
  • 1971 – 1978 Principal Double Bass, Kansas City Symphony 
  • 1974 – 1978 Faculty (adjunct), University of Missouri, Kansas City 
  • 1976 – 1977 Artist-faculty, California Music Center, Belmont, CA 
  • 1970 – 1971 musician, Universal Studios 
  • 1969 – 1971 Principal Double Bass, American Youth Symphony, UCLA; Principal Bass, Young Musicians’ Debut Orchestra, USC 

Partial List of Bransby Bass Students, Current Positions 

  • Susan Cahill, bass section, Colorado Symphony, Denver CO
  • Richard Cassarino, Assistant Principal Bass, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham, AL
  • Daniel Carson, bass section, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago IL
  • David Daly, Principal Bass, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth UK
  • Kaelen Decman, bass section, San Diego Symphony, San Diego CA; as of May 2022, Associate Principal Bass with LA Philharmonic
  • Paul DeNola, bass section, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington DC; faculty, American University; Faculty/founder BassWorks
  • Sam Hager, bass section, San Diego Symphony, San Diego CA
  • Alexander Horton, Principal Bass, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham, AL; Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Chicago IL
  • Brian Johnson, bass section, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles CA; faculty, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild CA
  • Jeffrey Kail, Principal Bass, Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City KS; faculty, UMKC Conservatory
  • Robert Kassinger, bass section, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago IL; faculty, DePaul University
  • Jeremy Kincaid, bass section, Colorado Symphony, Denver CO
  • Ju-Fang Liu, Principal Bass, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis IN (Ju-Fang was also a participant in the prestigious Marlboro Music Festival, Marlboro VT)
  • Todd Lockwood, Associate Principal Bass, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville FL; faculty, Jacksonville University
  • Sam Loeck, Principal Bass, Calgary Philharmonic, Calgary AB, Canada
  • Brian Marcus, bass section, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco CA
  • Joseph McFadden, Principal Bass, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta GA
  • Ronald Moberly, bass section, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis MO
  • Karl Olsen, bass section, Louisville Orchestra, Louisville KY; faculty, Indiana University Southeast
  • Nicholas Scholefield, bass section, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta GA

Publications 

  • Theme and Variations for Double Bass and Piano (2011) 
  • Valentini Grave and Allegro for Double Bass and Piano (2006) 
  • Tango for Double Bass and Piano (2001) 
  • Prelude for Double Bass and Piano (1991) 
  • Valse for Double Bass and Piano (1991) 

Recent performances, recordings
  • 2021, June/July performances as faculty member, FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA 
  • 2018 – 2020, Acting Principal Double Bass, Fresno Philharmonic, Rei Hotoda, cond.; seasons’ concerts 
  • June 2019, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA; June 21, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Richard Strauss, Also sprach Zarathustra; Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad” 
  • June 2018, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA; Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Mason Lamb, Solstice (world premiere; special YOOF/FOOSA commission), Max Bruch, Kol Nidrei, Lynn Harrell, cello soloist, Richard Strauss, Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Alfredo Casella, Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 12 (west coast premiere) 
  • June 2017, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA; Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Richard Strauss, Don Juan, Joseph Bohigian, Subnatural Delights (world premiere; special YOOF/FOOSA commission), Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 6 "Tragic" 
  • July-August 2017: concerts as Artist-Faculty member and Principal Bass at Aspen Music Festival, Aspen CO 
  • June 2016, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA; Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 2 
  • July-August 2016: concerts as Artist-Faculty member and Principal Bass at Aspen Music Festival, Aspen CO 
  • June 2015, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA; Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Benjamin Boone, Water(less) Music, Paul Hindemith, Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 12: The Year 1917 
  • July-August 2015: concerts as Artist-Faculty member and Principal Bass at Aspen Music Festival, Aspen CO 
  • June 2014, concerts at FOOSA Festival, Fresno CA and at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA; Principal Double Bass, FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim, cond.: Mozart Adagio and Fugue K. 546, Beethoven Quartet Op. 95, Grieg String Quartet No. 1, Gade Jalousie Tango Tsigane 
  • July-August 2014: concerts as Artist-Faculty member and Principal Bass at Aspen Music Festival, Aspen CO