WABASH, Ind. – Wabass Institute is a performance institute held annually at the Honeywell Center in Wabash, this year taking place June 24-28. A public recital hosted by the Honeywell Center will occur on Fri., June 28 at 7 p.m. in the Honeywell Room. Tickets are $25 per person.
Wabass is an intensive, one-week summer music camp for double bass players ages 14 and older, covering the entire musical spectrum from basic techniques to classical, jazz, and orchestral excerpts. Three leading bass pedagogues will lead the tuition-free summer institute, they include: Harold Robinson (Philadelphia Orchestra), Eric Larson (Houston Symphony), and Ranaan Meyer (Time for Three Co-Founder, University of Michigan faculty).
The week consists of daily private lessons, master classes, faculty recital, student recital, and guest lecturers. Wabass uniquely fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where ideas are freely shared from teacher to student and vice versa. We call this concept “sharing of knowledge,” the founding philosophy of Wabass.
With the registration and audition processes complete, nine participants have been selected to attend Wabass this year, including:• Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Mariya-Andoniya holds degrees in double bass performance from The Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles and Yale University School of Music. She has participated in summer festivals including The Perlman Music Program, Aspen Music Festival, The Music Academy of the West, The Tanglewood Music Center, The Verbier Festival among others. While living and studying in Los Angeles, Ms. Andonova was a tenured member in the Santa Barbara Symphony. • Riley Zimmermann is a freelance double bassist in the Pittsburgh area, where he completed degrees at Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University. Riley plays with a variety of regional orchestras such as the Johnstown and Wheeling symphonies. He also performs regularly in the acoustic music scene, having played with bands such as The Town Pants, the Jakobs Ferry Stragglers, and the Shelf Life String Band. Riley and his girlfriend, Emily, live with their two cats, Matilda and Rusalka.• Born in Miami, FL, in 1997, double bassist and performer Kebra-Seyoun Charles is a musician driven by passion and heritage. Kebra-Seyoun’s mother was an African drummer and dancer and, at a young age, encouraged him to express himself constantly through art. Currently, Kebra-Seyoun attends the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Todd Seeber and has received recognition from institutions like From the Top, Young Arts, Sphinx, and the NAACP. • Yoshiaki Horiguchi’s bass playing has been acclaimed by the Baltimore Sun for his ability to perform with a “dazzling display of dexterity and panache.” Yoshi has taught for the Baltimore Symphony’s ORCHkids program, Bass Works, Peabody Preparatory, York College of PA, and UMBC. Yoshi has degrees from UMBC and the Peabody Conservatory at JHU and is pursuing his D.M.A. at Peabody. Yoshi has studied with Ed Malaga, Jeff Koczela, Laura Ruas, Paul DeNola, and Paul Johnson. • Jarod Boles is a freelance double bass player that currently holds substitute positions with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Boles received his Bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University and attended Indiana University to complete coursework towards his Master’s degree. Jarod is planning to attend the University of Michigan this fall to complete his Master’s coursework.• Avery Weeks is currently pursuing a degree in double bass performance with Northwestern University’s Andrew Raciti, where he is a member of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra. He has played in masterclasses for teacher such as, Joel Quarrington, and Paul Ellison; and performed with the Texas Music Festival Orchestra. He will be a junior at Northwestern University in the fall. • Zach Hislop received his Bachelor of Music in String Performance from the University of Colorado under the tutelage of Dr. Paul Erhard. Since graduating in 2015, Zach has been living in New York City studying privately with Rex Surany and freelancing as a bassist in a variety of genres. Zach’s festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and the National Orchestral Institute. This fall, Zach will begin a Master’s program at the University of Southern California under David Allen Moore.
Tickets for the recital may be purchased online at www.honeywellcenter.org or by calling the Honeywell Foundation Box Office at 260-563-1102.
The Honeywell Foundation is a public charity in Wabash, Indiana. The organization and its venues – Honeywell Center, Honeywell House, Charley Creek Gardens, Dr. Ford Historic Home, Eagles Theatre, and 13-24 Drive In – provide artistic, social, cultural, and recreational opportunities for all. These artistic offerings are made possible by the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about The Honeywell Foundation, please visit www.honeywellfoundation.org.