Bertram Turetzky

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Bertram Turetzky (b. Connecticut, United States, 1933) is a contemporary American double bass soloist, teacher, and author of The Contemporary Contrabass (pub. 1974; rev. 1989), a book that looks at a number of new and interesting ways of playing the double bass. Turetzky has performed and recorded more than 300 pieces written by and for him. He is a composer whose music has achieved some prominence, as have his interpretations of early music and composers like Domenico Dragonetti. He has appeared as a featured soloist in the major music centers of the world.

Turetzky is a very versatile musician, conversant in chamber music, baroque music, classical, jazz, renaissance music, improvisational music and many different genres of world music. He has also developed a special affinity for klezmer music.

He grew up in Norwich, Connecticut, and received a masters degree in music history from the University of Hartford. He is currently living in Del Mar, California. He gives lessons to many students some of whom are very accomplished in their fields.

He helped students and patrons understand that the bass can be played in a solo concert without a piano. This was a revolutionary idea in the world of music, as it was widely assumed that the double bass was best employed as low-frequency support for small and large ensembles.

Turetzky is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Music from the University of California at San Diego in San Diego, California.

He is married to flutist Nancy Turetzky, and they have two sons and a daughter, and keep many cats.

He also plays the guitar and piano.

[edit] External links

• Bertram Turetzky page from UCSD site