In a dark room: a thesis recording project of commissioned works for double bass

The final product of this recording project is a high-quality audio recording of nine new compositions for solo double bass, written expressly for me and that highlight my personal connections with the composers represented and the commitment to collaboration that has marked my time at the University of Iowa. The new works are composed by Jean-François Charles, Sivan Cohen Elias, Scott Wollschleger, Christine Burke, Cullyn Murphy, Douglas Osmun, Ailie Robertson, Zach Rowden, and James May. The composers involved in this project are all people with whom I have maintained personal relationships, and all are friends as well as frequent collaborators.

This recording project features unaccompanied solos, works with electronics of varying forms, and vehicles for improvisation. In addition to the variety of soundworlds, the scores themselves display a wide range of notational practices, representing both the breadth of my interpretive abilities and my multivalent approach to collaboration with composers. This recording will have wide appeal due to the strength of the artistic vision documented, the high quality and variety of compositional styles represented, and the emphasis on new material.