Louisiana Bass Festival & Masterclass Series

Bing Luo is a distinguished double bass educator and performer, serving as the Chair of Strings at the Shanghai Conservatory Pre-college and an Associate Professor of Double Bass. He is also a board member of the Chinese Musicians Association's Strings Department and a visiting professor at Texas Christian University. A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory under Professor Yimin Tang, Luo furthered his studies with Professor Sewvin Haugen in Norway.

Luo has performed with the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with the Narvik Baroque Chamber Orchestra. His students have excelled in major double bass competitions, notably winning top prizes in the International Society of Bassists (ISB) competitions. He has given masterclasses at prestigious institutions and served as a jury member for the 2020 Sperger International Double Bass Quarantine Challenge.

In addition to teaching, Luo has published significant academic works, including studies on double bass technique and school-based textbooks for string instruments.

Ju-Fang Liu, appointed Principal Bass of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2003 by Maestro Mario Venzago, is a distinguished double bassist with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University. She studied under renowned bass pedagogues Bruce Bransby and Larry Hurst and has worked with notable teachers like Edwin Barker and Edgar Meyer.

Liu's performance career includes appearances at prestigious festivals such as Marlboro, Aspen, and Tanglewood. She has been a finalist for principal positions with the Boston and Atlanta Symphonies and performed with the Chicago Symphony and New World Symphony. Her concerto repertoire includes works by Bottesini, Koussevitzky, and Tubin, and she was the first to win both Solo and Orchestral Categories of the International Society of Bassists competitions.

An accomplished educator, Liu has taught at DePauw University, Indiana University, and joined the faculty of the Butler University School of Music in Indianapolis in 2014. She has given masterclasses and performed in Colombia, Taiwan, and China.

Bassist George Speed currently serves as Associate Professor of Bass at Florida State University and Principal Bass of the Tallahassee Symphony. He has previously served as Professor of Double Bass at Oklahoma State University and Principal Bass of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. In addition to his extensive teaching dutes he maintains an active performing career, having performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and more.

A passionate soloist and chamber musician, Speed performed Schoenberg’s Kammersymphonie with Pierre Boulez at Carnegie Hall and was a key member of the Brightmusic ensemble. He has released two solo albums with Centaur Records: Vivaldi Cello Sonatas (2018) and Bass Favorites and Transcriptions from the 18th Century (2023).

As an educator, Speed co-founded the Oklahoma Bass Bash and has been recognized with the Wise-Diggs-Berry Award for Teaching Excellence. He holds degrees, summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and Boston University, and studied at Aspen and Tanglewood with renowned teachers like Edwin Barker and Edgar Meyer.

Derek Weller is an Instructor of String Bass at Interlochen Arts Academy and also serves on faculty at Eastern Michigan University. He holds the Principal Double Bass position with the Michigan Opera Theater, performs with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and freelances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he is a member of the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra in Carmel, California, and appears frequently in chamber music festivals, including the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.

An alumnus of Interlochen Arts Academy, Weller earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from the University of Michigan. His distinctive collection of five basses comprises a 300-year-old Italian instrument, a 200-year-old French bass, a Kay bass, and two modern instruments crafted by Aaron Reiley of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bowen Ha joined the San Francisco Symphony bass section at the beginning of the 2024–25 season. He is a master’s student at The Juilliard School with Timothy Cobb and Harold Robinson and has actively performed as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Indianapolis Symphony.

Born in Shanghai, Ha studied at the Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory, then moved to the United States to attend Interlochen Arts Academy. He later earned a Bachelor of Music at Juilliard and participated in the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program at the University of North Texas, the Verbier Festival Orchestra, and the Aspen Music Festival as an orchestral leadership fellow.

Ha has won prizes at the Tang Rhyme Carnival International Double Bass Competition, Shanghai Conservatory Concerto Competition, Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Louisiana Bass Fest, the International Concerto Competition of the Master Players Festival & School, and Juilliard Double Bass Concerto Competition.

Thierry Barbé is ex-principal bass of the Paris National Opera Orchestra and double bass professor at the National Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris. Born in Metz, he studied piano and double bass while completing a science degree, then focused on music at the CNSMDP, earning top honors, including a first prize in double bass with JM Rollez. A dedicated performer, Barbé has toured in over 25 countries, showcasing his “French touch” and expressive phrasing in solo recitals and chamber settings.

He frequently presents his own compositions, releasing his debut album Nomade in 1998 and the DVD French Impressions in 2016. Dedicated to exploring multiple technical approaches, he integrates them into his pedagogy, teaching since 1982. Barbé serves as president of the French Bass Society, was a board member of the International Society of Bassists, and is artistic director of the Biarritz International Bass Academy.

Double bassist Martin Rosso balances an active solo career with his position at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie and a teaching post at LUCA School of Arts in Leuven (Belgium). A champion of solo repertoire, he co-founded the ensemble BAS to feature distinctive works for bass with piano or harp.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Rosso honed his skills at the National Conservatory and Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a Master of Music under Jeffrey Turner. He later pursued postgraduate studies in Italy with Giuseppe Ettorre. His orchestral path began at the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina before joining the Brussels Philharmonic and, in 2014, the La Monnaie orchestra.

Passionate about Argentine classical music, he has transcribed, recorded, and published chamber music for solo bass in collaboration with Melos Musical Editions. Rosso performs on a custom “Rosso Model” double bass crafted by British luthier Martin Penning.

Gaelen McCormick began her career with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, performing for 23 years. After retiring due to deafness, she forged a new path in the arts and healthcare field, leading the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine program at the University of Rochester. Her twin passions for music and healthcare also guide her nonprofit board service: she is president of the International Society of Bassists and vice president of the National Organization for Arts in Health.

Pedagogy is integral to her work, whether guiding new bassists in injury-free playing or helping educators build sustainable programs. She has taught at the Eastman Community Music School for over 20 years and is the author of Mastering the Bow (vols. 1–3) and Double Trouble, both published by Carl Fischer. Her latest publication, Teaching Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass: Historical and Modern Pedagogical Practices, was released by Routledge in 2023.

McCormick holds performance degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Jeff Turner and James VanDemark. She is an alumna of the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management program and recently earned Level One certification in Paul Rolland String Pedagogy.

Bassist and composer John Madere resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and maintains a thriving career across jazz and classical genres. A graduate of Louisiana State University (BM, 2005; DMA, 2011) and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM), he studied with mentors including Robert Nash, Yung-chiao Wei, Bill Grimes, Willis Delony, Albert Laszlo, and Brian Shaw. Since 2007, he has served as Principal Bass with the Baton Rouge Symphony, performing also with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Acadiana Symphony, as well as appearing as a soloist with both the Louisiana Sinfonietta and the Baton Rouge Symphony. He is currently commissioning a new solo work for the Southeastern Louisiana University Symphony Orchestra, reflecting his commitment to expanding the double bass repertoire.

As a dedicated educator, Madere teaches Talented Music in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, lectures in double bass and music appreciation at Southeastern Louisiana University, and directs the University Lab Band. For the 2024–25 academic year, he will join Louisiana State University as a visiting instructor in Jazz, conducting the LSU Lab Band and teaching jazz bass lessons. He is a passionate mentor for aspiring musicians, fostering excellence through a blend of classical and contemporary techniques.

In 2011, Madere released Chemistry, a collection of his original compositions featuring collaborations with LSU faculty, followed by an ambient album, Jambient Vol. 1, on the Earthship Records Label in 2020. Over the years, he has performed with renowned artists across multiple styles, including Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and Branford Marsalis, highlighting his versatility and musical range.