Gary Karr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Karr
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 20, 1941 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, professor |
| Instruments | Double bass |
| Years active | ca. 1960–2002 |
Gary Michael Karr is a famous American musician. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 20, 1941. Gary Karr plays the double bass, which is the biggest instrument in the string family. Many people think he is one of the best double bass players of the 1900s and early 2000s. He was also a respected teacher.
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Gary Karr's Early Life and Musical Journey
Even though many people in his family played the double bass, they didn't push him to become a musician. He once said he didn't really keep in touch with the professional bass players in his family.
Gary Karr went to Fairfax High School and the University of Southern California. He also studied music at the Aspen Music Festival and the Juilliard School. His main teachers were Herman Reinshagen and Stuart Sankey.
A Big Break with Leonard Bernstein
Gary Karr became famous in 1962. He was a solo performer in a special concert for young people. This concert was shown on TV across the country. It featured the New York Philharmonic orchestra and was led by the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein.
During this TV show, Karr played a piece called "The Swan." This song is from a larger work called The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. He even recorded "The Swan" with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.
Performing Around the World
After his big TV appearance, Gary Karr played as a solo artist with many top orchestras. These included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. He also performed with orchestras in Montreal, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Oslo, and Zurich. He played with all the major orchestras in Australia too.
Many composers wrote new music especially for him. These included Vittorio Giannini, Alec Wilder, and Robert Xavier Rodriguez. He also played concertos (special pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra) by composers like Gunther Schuller and Hans Werner Henze. He recorded a concerto by Serge Koussevitzky with the Oslo Philharmonic.
Teaching the Double Bass
Gary Karr also spent many years teaching the double bass. He taught at famous music schools like the Juilliard School and Yale University. He also taught at Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music.
He wrote several books to help people learn the double bass. His teaching style focused on helping students find their own special sound. He encouraged them to play the double bass with the beautiful, singing quality of a human voice.
Retirement and Later Life
After playing concerts for 40 years, Gary Karr retired in 2001. He moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada. He lived there with his dog, Shin-Ju, and his close friend and fellow musician, Harmon Lewis. Harmon Lewis passed away in 2013.
Gary Karr's Important Foundations
Gary Karr created two important organizations to help other double bass players.
International Society of Bassists (ISB)
In 1967, Karr started the International Society of Bassists (ISB). This group helps people learn about, promote, and improve double bass playing all over the world. The ISB has over 3,000 members. These members include performers, teachers, and students from more than 40 countries. The ISB holds a big meeting every two years to help reach its goals.
Gary Karr was also featured in two documentaries by the BBC. These were called The Great Double Bass Race (1978) and Amazing Bass (1984).
The Karr-Koussevitzky Bass
In 2005, Gary Karr gave his most important instrument to the ISB. This special double bass is known as the Karr-Koussevitzky bass. Olga Koussevitzky, the wife of famous conductor Serge Koussevitzky, gave this bass to Karr in 1961. The ISB plans to let double bass players around the world use this valuable instrument.
People once thought the Karr-Koussevitzky bass was made by the famous Amati family of instrument makers. Because of this, it is sometimes called the Amati bass.
Karr Double Bass Foundation
Gary Karr also started the non-profit Karr Double Bass Foundation in 1984. This foundation lends instruments to young double bass players who show great promise. This helps them develop their skills and careers.
In Spanish: Gary Karr para niños
