33: Guy Tuneh Interview part 2 - a podcast by Jason Heath

This week's Contrabass Conversations episode features the second half of our interview with double bassist Guy Tuneh, conducted over a distance of thousands of miles. It was a real pleasure to get to sit down and chat with Guy--he's a warm, intelligent, and passionate individual, and these traits come through in his speaking just like they do in his bass playing. You can visit him online at www.guytuneh.com. You will also get a chance to hear the great jazz bassist Brian Bromberg perform and hear some bass playing from L.A. bassist Nam Chi Vu. Enjoy!

Guy D. Tuneh dedicates his work to challenging the traditional role of the bass player, and to stretching the limits of bass-playing. Beyond approaching the double bass literature from a new direction, these goals are achieved by performing music which until now was considered impossible to perform on this instrument. For example, he was the first bass player to ever perform an un-transcribed version of the Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in concert, achieving a higher standard of technical and artistic level. Guy Tuneh set a landmark in double bass performing - to be the first Bass-Solist to ever perform an un-transcribed version of the Elgar cello concerto and Villa Lobos Fantasia for Cello on bass in concert and to be the first Bass-solist to perform first time ever an un-transcribed version of the both Beethoven F and G Violin Romances on double bass in concert, Paganini's Cantabile in D, Capriccio Nr. 9 as an un-transcribed version and an un-transcribed version of Mozarts Rondo C-Major for Violin, Sonata KV 301 for Violin in G and Mahlers Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for low voice on double bass as well. Guy Tuneh has set a personal goal to combine passion, personality, character, and unique technique, in his approach to music performance. Aiming at winning over wide and diverse audiences, he constantly seeks new challenges. Coming from a deep and intense personal involvement, his performances attempt to deliver strong massages to the audience and result in intense, captivating, and awe-inspiring experiences.

Guy D. Tuneh has been studying in Germany and Switzerland and performing internationally, Mr.Tuneh has been active as a solo performer and chamber musician.

Having begun as a violin student at the age of 6, he was drawn to the tone color of the double bass, joining Michael Klinghoffer's bass studio at the S. Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. Later, he continued his bass studies under Barbara Sanderling at the Hochschule Für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, which followed a Solo Artist Diploma at the Music Academy Basel in Switzerland. Additionally, he took master classes with Yoan Goilav, Gary Karr and Miloslav Gajdos.

Guy Tuneh's orchestra performances included engagements as a principl bassist with the Berliner Kammeroper, Mendelssohn Players Berlin, Ensemble "Echo" of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (Winner of ECHO–Klassik AWARD 2006 & ECHO-Klassik AWARD 2007) under Daniel Barenboim. These performances, which included chamber music collaborations with Mr. Barenboim were recorded for the ORF (National Austrian Public Service) at the Salzburg Festival and at the Lucerne Festival, along with many other performances on German radio and TV. He also performed with Theater Erfurt, Solistes Européens Luxembourg, with the NDR (North German Radio Orchestra - Hannover) and Ensemble Modern.

As an orchestra bassist Mr. Tuneh performed under such distinguished conductors as Kurt Sanderling, Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Nicolas Harnoncourt and Pierre Boulez.

Winner of a Villa Musica Scholarship, Guy Tuneh has performed all over Germany as a Soloist and as a chamber musician to great acclaim, and participated in Solo and chamber music performances recorded by the (Southwest German Radio). These performances included collaborations with members of Ensemble Villa Musica.

Mr. Tuneh participated at festivals such as the "Verbier Festival", "Festival di Musica d'Insieme di Sessa Aurunca", "Fètes musicales en Touraine", "Busan Maru International Music Festival" and the "Internationales Bodenseefestival".

Guy Tuneh's performances as a solo performer and chamber musician included collaborations with Vesselina Kasarova, Natalia Gutman, Rainer Kussmaul, Heinz Holliger, Ensemble-Modern, The Baltic Guitar Quartet, The Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Kammersolisten der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Ensemble Les Dissonances and other distinguished musicians.

Mr. Tuneh maintains an active double bass teaching career, giving master classes world wide.

Learn more at guytuneh.com.

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