Thursday, November 09, 2006

2005 Bios

2004 Whitewater Winter Bassfest Artist/Clinician Biographies


Jason Heath

Classical Bass


Jason Heath joined the UW-Whitewater Music Department in 2002. An accomplished performer and pedagogue in many styles of music, Jason has won first prize at several regional solo competitions. He performs and records on the Naxos and Chandos labels regularly with the Iris Chamber Orchestra of Germantown, Tennessee. Recent projects with Iris have included recordings of commissioned pieces for soloists Jamie Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Richard Stoltzman, and Edgar Meyer. Jason has also performed as principal bass of the Lake Forest Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has also performed with the Grant Park Symphony, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Symphony II, Chicago Sinfonietta, Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony, Britt Festival Orchestra, and Memphis Symphony. He has toured internationally with the American-Russian Young Artists Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.


Peter Tambroni

Classical and Jazz Bass


Peter Tambroni teaches elementary and middle school strings for Mannheim District 83. He received his Master of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign and his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music. He taught and conducted at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels and is a former faculty member of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Peter performs throughout the Chicago area and has played with numerous orchestras in New York and Illinois. In 2000 he appeared on national television with the Bozo Super Sunday Show, promoting the double bass. Peter teaches each summer in upstate New York at the Crane School of Music youth camp. As a writer, he has been published several times in the international journal American String Teacher and is working on several books. Peter has recorded for Mode Records of New York City and is co-owner of the independent label, Possible Tunes Records, Inc. He is currently collaborating with nationally known energy coach Jon Gordon (www.jongordon.com) who has begun a nationwide initiative to start positive energy clubs in public schools.


Phillip Serna

Classical Bass

A native of Houston Texas, Phillip W. Serna (double bass, bass guitar, guitar, and viola da gamba) is an active and enthusiastic performer of early music, as well as the contemporary, solo, orchestral, and chamber repertoires. Phillip earned his Bachelor of Music in double bass performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1998. Phillip later completed his Master of Music in 2001 as a Northwestern University/ Civic Orchestra of Chicago Graduate Fellow and is currently pursuing the Doctor of Music degree at Northwestern University, studying double bass with Chicago Symphony Orchestra member Michael Hovnanian and viola da gamba with Newberry Consort member Mary Springfels.


Since 2003, Phillip has been principal double bass of the Northbrook Symphony and has performed regularly throughout the Chicago area with other orchestras such as the Illinois Philharmonic, Kenosha Symphony, Racine Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Phillip has also performed with period instrument ensembles such as the Classical Arts Orchestra as well as The Forces of Virtue Ensemble and Choir, dedicated to raising money for disaster relief and other charities. In July of 2003, Phillip performed Estonian composer Eduard Tubin’s stirring Concerto for Double Bass with Northwestern University’s Summer Orchestra under the direction of Robert Hasty.

In addition to his intense performance schedule, Phillip teaches lessons on double bass, bass guitar, guitar, viola da gamba, and presents master classes and workshops on modern and period double bass. He currently teaches at schools in Orland Park, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Villa Park and Naperville. Most recently, Phillip joined Michael Hovnanian’s music publishing company Discordia Music, specializing in the publication of well-researched editions of new works and transcriptions for the double bass with the goal of expanding the performance possibilities of the instrument.

Stevenson Swanson

Jazz and Classical Bass


Steven Swanson regularly performs on both modern and period instruments throughout the Chicago area. After attending the University of North Texas, where he studied with the renowned pedagogue Jeff Bradetich, Steven moved to Chicago to pursue a Masters degree at Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Hovnanian of the Chicago Symphony. During his time at Northwestern, Steven played for two years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where he worked with such renowned conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph von Dohnanyi, and David Robertson. In 2004 Steven was invited by Pierre Boulez to be co-principal double bass at the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland. Also active in early music, Steven has studied viola Da Gamba with Patricia Nordstrom and the Newberry Consort’s Mary Springfels. On baroque double bass he has performed with Les Petits Violons, a Texas-based Baroque orchestra, and members of the San Fransisco Early Music Society. Presently he is the gambist with the Chicago Early Music Consort.


Currently Steven freelances throughout the area and is a member of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Other orchestras he has played with include the Elgin, Elmhurst, Illinois, Kenosha, Racine, and Rockford Symphonies. He can also be heard on soundtracks for films including House on Haunted Hill, Six-Pack, and the upcoming The Wedding Date, starring Debra Messing, and Grillers, starring Ray Romano and Burt Reynolds.


John Tuck

Classical Bass


B.M. and M.M., Northwestern University; Member of the Lake Forest Symphony and Assistant Principal Bass with the Indiana Symphony Orchestra; Has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Elgin Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, Joffrey Ballet, and The Three Tenors; Has been an instructor at the Northwestern University Summer High School Institute, Lake Lucerne Music Center in Lake Lucerne (NY), as well as New Trier, Deerfield, and Highland Park High Schools.


Carl Johnson

Electric Bass, Jazz Bass

Carl is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater working on his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. In addition to studying classical and jazz acoustic bass, Carl performs all over Wisconsin in a variety of musical settings. Carl makes time for composition in addition to his jazz, classical, rock, and bluegrass performing. Carl is a French bow player.



Robert C. Junceau III

Jazz and Electric Bass


An accomplished performer in many styles of music, Robert is a jazz and electric bass specialist in the Madison area. In addition to maintaining a busy performing and teaching career, Robert recently graduated from UWW with his Bachelor of the Arts degree in music. Robert is a French bow player.


Justin Cormia

Electric Bass


Justin is in his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater working on his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. In addition to classical and jazz upright bass, Justin is an avid electric bass enthusiast. He plays French Bow.


Nicolas Buendia

Classical and Jazz Bass


A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Nicolas is continuing his studies in the Milwaukee area, where he studies with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra bassist Laura Snyder. Nicolas performs regularly in Wisconsin in a variety of musical settings.

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