Louisiana Bass Festival & Masterclass Series

Bing Luo is a distinguished double bass educator and performer, serving as the Chair of Strings at the Shanghai Conservatory Pre-college and an Associate Professor of Double Bass. He is also a board member of the Chinese Musicians Association's Strings Department and a visiting professor at Texas Christian University. A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory under Professor Yimin Tang, Luo furthered his studies with Professor Sewvin Haugen in Norway.

Luo has performed with the Tromsø Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with the Narvik Baroque Chamber Orchestra. His students have excelled in major double bass competitions, notably winning top prizes in the International Society of Bassists (ISB) competitions. He has given masterclasses at prestigious institutions and served as a jury member for the 2020 Sperger International Double Bass Quarantine Challenge.

In addition to teaching, Luo has published significant academic works, including studies on double bass technique and school-based textbooks for string instruments.

Ju-Fang Liu, appointed Principal Bass of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2003 by Maestro Mario Venzago, is a distinguished double bassist with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University. She studied under renowned bass pedagogues Bruce Bransby and Larry Hurst and has worked with notable teachers like Edwin Barker and Edgar Meyer.

Liu's performance career includes appearances at prestigious festivals such as Marlboro, Aspen, and Tanglewood. She has been a finalist for principal positions with the Boston and Atlanta Symphonies and performed with the Chicago Symphony and New World Symphony. Her concerto repertoire includes works by Bottesini, Koussevitzky, and Tubin, and she was the first to win both Solo and Orchestral Categories of the International Society of Bassists competitions.

An accomplished educator, Liu has taught at DePauw University, Indiana University, and currently serves on the faculty at Butler University. She has given masterclasses and performed in Colombia, Taiwan, and China.

Bassist George Speed currently serves as Associate Professor of Bass at Florida State University and Principal Bass of the Tallahassee Symphony. He has previously served as Professor of Double Bass at Oklahoma State University and Principal Bass of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. In addition to his extensive teaching dutes he maintains an active performing career, having performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and more.

A passionate soloist and chamber musician, Speed performed Schoenberg’s Kammersymphonie with Pierre Boulez at Carnegie Hall and was a key member of the Brightmusic ensemble. He has released two solo albums with Centaur Records: Vivaldi Cello Sonatas (2018) and Bass Favorites and Transcriptions from the 18th Century (2023).

As an educator, Speed co-founded the Oklahoma Bass Bash and has been recognized with the Wise-Diggs-Berry Award for Teaching Excellence. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and Boston University, and studied at Aspen and Tanglewood with renowned teachers like Edwin Barker and Edgar Meyer.

Derek Weller is an Instructor of String Bass at Interlochen Arts Academy and also serves on faculty at Eastern Michigan University. He holds the Principal Double Bass position with the Michigan Opera Theater, performs with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and freelances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he is a member of the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra in Carmel, California, and appears frequently in chamber music festivals, including the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.

An alumnus of Interlochen Arts Academy, Weller earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from the University of Michigan. His distinctive collection of five basses comprises a 300-year-old Italian instrument, a 200-year-old French bass, a Kay bass, and two modern instruments crafted by Aaron Reiley of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Thierry Barbé is ex-principal bass of the Paris National Opera Orchestra and double bass professor at the National Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris. Born in Metz, he studied piano and double bass while completing a science degree, then focused on music at the CNSMDP, earning top honors, including a first prize in double bass with JM Rollez. A dedicated performer, Barbé has toured in over 25 countries, showcasing his “French touch” and expressive phrasing in solo recitals and chamber settings.

He frequently presents his own compositions, releasing his debut album Nomade in 1998 and the DVD French Impressions in 2016. Dedicated to exploring multiple technical approaches, he integrates them into his pedagogy, teaching since 1982. Barbé serves as president of the French Bass Society, was a member of the I.S.B. board, and is artistic director of the Biarritz International Bass Academy. 

Double bassist Martin Rosso balances an active solo career with his position at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie and a teaching post at LUCA School of Arts in Leuven (Belgium). A champion of solo repertoire, he co-founded the ensemble BAS to feature distinctive works for bass with piano or harp.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Rosso honed his skills at the National Conservatory and Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a Master of Music under Jeffrey Turner. He later pursued postgraduate studies in Italy with Giuseppe Ettorre. His orchestral path began at the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina before joining the Brussels Philharmonic and, in 2014, the La Monnaie orchestra.

Passionate about Argentine classical music, he has transcribed, recorded, and published chamber music for solo bass in collaboration with Melos Musical Editions. Rosso performs on a custom “Rosso Model” double bass crafted by British luthier Martin Penning.

From 1995 to 2017, Ms. McCormick performed as a double bassist with the Rochester Philharmonic. Following hearing loss in 2017, she transitioned into arts administration, becoming Program Manager of Eastman Performing Arts Medicine—a program bridging arts and healthcare. A dedicated educator, she has taught at Nazareth College, the Eastman Community Music School, and in Eastman’s Arts Leadership Program, while founding the Rochester Bass Retreat.

McCormick authored the three-book Mastering the Bow series (Carl Fischer), with a duet collection, Double Trouble, forthcoming. She has presented masterclasses and recitals at Ithaca College, Williams College, and other institutions, and serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Bassists. Active as both an arts and disability advocate, McCormick holds performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied under James VanDemark and Jeffrey Turner, respectively.

Bassist and composer John Madere resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and maintains a thriving career across jazz and classical genres. A graduate of Louisiana State University (BM, 2005; DMA, 2011) and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM), he studied with mentors including Robert Nash, Yung-chiao Wei, Bill Grimes, Willis Delony, Albert Laszlo, and Brian Shaw. Since 2007, he has served as Principal Bass with the Baton Rouge Symphony, performing also with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Acadiana Symphony, as well as appearing as a soloist with both the Louisiana Sinfonietta and the Baton Rouge Symphony. He is currently commissioning a new solo work for the Southeastern Louisiana University Symphony Orchestra, reflecting his commitment to expanding the double bass repertoire.

As a dedicated educator, Madere teaches Talented Music in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, lectures in double bass and music appreciation at Southeastern Louisiana University, and directs the University Lab Band. For the 2024–25 academic year, he will join Louisiana State University as a visiting instructor in Jazz, conducting the LSU Lab Band and teaching jazz bass lessons. He is a passionate mentor for aspiring musicians, fostering excellence through a blend of classical and contemporary techniques.

In 2011, Madere released Chemistry, a collection of his original compositions featuring collaborations with LSU faculty, followed by an ambient album, Jambient Vol. 1, on the Earthship Records Label in 2020. Over the years, he has performed with renowned artists across multiple styles, including Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and Branford Marsalis, highlighting his versatility and musical range.