Double Bass
Fontys Conservatory offers the following majors from the string instrument family: violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The strings department focuses on intensive training to help students develop in the realms of solo performance, chamber music and orchestral and ensemble playing. The department also aims to help string players find their way in a changing musical world through exciting multidisciplinary collaborations with other music and arts faculties at Fontys. The program has a strong focus on chamber and ensemble playing, with weekly chamber music lessons throughout the Bachelor and yearly examinations and opportunities to perform in the community. The department presents a monthly Strings on Stage concert, allowing our students the opportunity to grow and develop as performers. Other important points of focus are the yearly technical and orchestral parts exams, which including the opportunity to audition for the orchestra academy at the Philharmonie Zuidnederland. This helps students prepare for future orchestral auditions. The program is directed towards helping young string players turn into dedicated and versatile professional musicians.
Teacher
Ardashes Agoshian
Ardashes Agoshian is a double bassist, prolific composer, music director, conductor and academic based in Amsterdam. He has played solo double bass both home and abroad in various places, most notable venue being Amsterdam Concertgebouw. His double bass made in 1895 in present-day Czech Republic by one the most famous luthiers in his time,
Benjamin Patočka, as a solo instrument. Agoshian has recently completed his master’s degree in Early Music (Violone) with Prof. Margaret Urquhart from Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He received his B.A., master’s and doctorate in Double Bass from Istanbul University State Conservatory with Prof. Tahir Sümer. He is the founder-director of CorISTAnbul Chamber Choir, an international chamber choir, and HayCappella, the first independent Armenian chamber choir in Istanbul.
Audition
Candidates living in the Netherlands/ Belgium/ Western Germany will do a live audition.
Candidates from other countries will do an online audition.
Duration of the live audition is 15/20 minutes.
Please bring your own pianist or accompaniment. If this is really not possible, please contact us.
The audition program should include:
- One etude for double bass solo of your choice: Kreutzer (Nanny or Hermann), Storch-Hrabě "57 Etudes", Simandl "Gradus ad Parnassum", Mengoli "20 Etudes"
- The first movement of a classical concerto with cadenza
- A repertory piece (could be a movement from a concerto-sonata) from a different style period as 2