Dutch Double Bass Festival 2019!

Legendary Syrian bassist, François Rabbath will be coming to the Netherlands for the second edition of the Dutch Double Bass Festival.

François and his son, pianist Sylvain Rabbath, will be forming a unique collaboration with the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest. Dutch Double Bass Festival shows that the double bass and bass guitar are essential elements to all good music by programming acts that touch and excite every music lover and also have the bass in the main role. The programme is comprised of a varied mix of more than twelve (inter)national acts. Classical, Jazz, World and Crossover are all represented in the festival programme. Dutch Double Bass Festival takes place on the 8th and 9th of June 2019 in Rotterdam at the Oude Luxor Theater and Villa Thalia and is under artistic leadership of James Oesi.

Legendary bassist, François Rabbath (1931) was born in Aleppo, Syria.

It was here at the age of 13 that he began to teach himself the double bass. Following a brief stint at the Paris Conservatoire, the young François began to earn his living as an accompanist for, among others, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud, Michel Legrand. In 1963 he made his first of many solo albums. From 1964, as well as composing music for movies and the theater, and performing with the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles and Moody Blues, Rabbath launched his career as a soloist, first in France, then throughout Europe. He played his Carnegie Hall debut in 1975 with Ornette Coleman. A dazzling virtuoso who accepts no limits or labels, François Rabbath crosses classical, jazz, and global traditions. He is credited with bringing more attention to the double bass as a serious solo instrument as well as evolving a revolutionary technique in the use of the left hand and bow arm. Rabbath will be collaborating for the first time with the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest exclusively for the Dutch Double Bass Festival. Dedicated to the Arabo Andalusian music, this orchestra represents the musical heritage of Andalusia, from traditional sefardi ladino to arabo andalus and from modern flamenco to jazz andalus and connects various Mediterranean countries. The Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest is made up of the young Amsterdam and Moroccan musicians who founded the orchestra in 2011.

Attention for young talent!

Dutch Double Bass Festival will be presenting two new performances for Sunday: an octet of the best students from Rotterdam’s Codarts Conservatory will perform a program of exciting works by Hummel and Haber and the young up and coming bassist Cody Takacs, one of the highlights during the previous edition of the festival, will perform a number of pieces especially written for him for the festival by composition students from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

More than 12 (inter)national bass acts: Richard Bona, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Dominic Seldis and more

The Dutch Double Bass Festival offers a broad programme: from Classical to Jazz and Crossover. Grammy award winner Richard Bona, French Catalan Flamenco bassist, Renaud Garcia-Fons, will be playing at the festival on the 8th and 9th of June as well as Maestro creator Dominic Selids who will be performing with the bassists of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip (known from The Yellowjackets) will be joining the band of percussionist Jeroen de Rijk to pay tribute to bass legend Jaco Pastorius. Nederlands Muziekprijs winner Rick Stotijn will be collaborating with the renowned Matangi Quartet. Tilburg bassist, composer and musical innovator Eric van der Westen will be presenting his new group comprised of the jazz vanguard. From the contemporary jazz scene, Swedish bassist Frans Petter Eldh will be appearing with pianist and organist Kit Downes (GB).

In addition, a number of other leading bassists from The Netherlands and abroad: the Israeli Omer Avital will appear with his quartet, “Qantar”; festival founder James Oesi will play with his group which includes David Kweksilber on clarinet and sax; Tony Overwater will perform a solo concert on double bass and violone; Rotterdam’s own Thomas Pol will be debuting his new trio with pianist Tony Roe and drummer Jamie Peet; contemporary music specialists Håkon Thelin (Ensemble Modern) and Nicolas Crosse (Ensemble Intercontemporain) will be showcasing the newest musical developments of the instrument.

Renowned bass makers Rogier Dieges and Jurgen Preyer will both be holding an Atelier in Residence.

More information and a timetable can be found at www.ddbf.nl.