Double Bass
Nico Abondolo is internationally recognized as a leading double bass soloist and chamber musician. He made his debut at age 14 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and in 1983 became the first double bassist ever to win first place in the International Competition for Musical Performers in Geneva, Switzerland. Since then he has appeared with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States and Europe.
Mr. Abondolo regularly performs chamber music at La Jolla SummerFest, the Ojai Music Festival, Musik3 Contemporary Music Festival, Concert Nova of Cincinnati, and the St. Barth's Music Festival. Recent performance highlights include collaborations with eighth blackbird at the Ojai Music Festival, John Adams' Shaker Loops with the composer conducting, Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat under Esa-Pekka Salonen, Schubert's Trout Quintet with the Brentano String Quartet, and Tan Dun's Quintet with the composer conducting. For eight seasons he served as principal bass for San Francisco's Grammy-nominated New Century Chamber Orchestra. He has composed for several New York and West Coast dance companies, performing with them at Jacobs Pillow, the Cunningham Space, and La Mama. As a composer he has received commissions from Concert Nova and Chamber Music Unbound. In addition, he serves as principal bassist for many motion picture composers, including John Williams, Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer, and Alan Silvestri.
Mr. Abondolo, who has been a faculty member at UC Santa Barbara and the USC Thornton School of Music, maintains a private teaching studio in Los Angeles. He is also a guest professor at Azusa Pacific University and maintains a busy masterclass schedule at music schools throughout the United States. An alumnus of the Music Academy (1987 and 1988), he has been a member of the faculty since 1990.