409: Caitlyn Kamminga on life in Trinidad and Tobago - a podcast by Jason Heath

It is such a pleasure to bring you this conversation with Caitlyn Kamminga!  Caitlyn has had a fascinating journey through the music world, and we dig deep into her journey across the globe from New Orleans, Hong Kong, and London to her current home of Trinidad and Tobago.

More About Caitlyn:

Caitlyn Kamminga graduated cum laude, with both a BM and MM from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied with premiere double bass pedagogue, Paul Ellison. She accepted her first job in 1992 in the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, where she held the position of Principal Double Bass until 1995. Subsequent positions include Associate Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO), Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and founding member of the Hong Kong Chamber Players. In 2001 she left Hong Kong to accept the position of Assistant Principal Double Bass in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. After six years in the BBC NOW, Kamminga moved to London, where she was largely employed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia and the London Mozart Players.

Kamminga currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Academy for the Performing Arts. Recent creative projects include the 2014 world premiere of Jab Molassie, a Trinidadian adaptation of L’Histoire du Soldat, authored by Kamminga; and River of Freedom, an inter-disciplinary work about the African American slaves who fought with the British in exchange for freedom and land in Trinidad, which premiered in May 2015 with narration by Kamminga. This work was underwritten by matching grants from the United States Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago and the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation.

Kamminga has been published in several musical journals, including the International Society of Double Bassists magazine, Bass World. She is a regular contributor to ALT/space, a project of the Teaching Artist Journal, a peer reviewed print and online quarterly that serves as a voice, forum and resource for all those teaching their art.

Links to Check Out:

• Caitlyn's website
• University of Trinidad and Tobago
  • Academy for the Performing Arts
  • faculty Campus Concert Series with the UTT Ibis Ensemble
• Recent Projects:
  • River of Freedom
  • Rainforest: A Musical Postcard from Trinidad

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