Bassically Yours by Á. Egilsson, Bassiona Amarosa's Roman Patkoló, Ruslan Lutsyk

Jeff Mifsud

Some years ago at a Double Bass Convention in Iowa I had a chance to hear the Double Bass Quartet "Bassiona Amarosa" in concert.

I had known Klaus Trumpf for some time and admired him as a soloist. I also knew he was a good teacher, but none of that prepared me for that wonderful concert. These young players simply " blew me away" along with the rest of the audience.

When the opportunity arose for me to be able to record this CD in Munich, Germany with the two star members of the group accompanied by such an outstanding pianist, I was elated, to say the least.

My deepest thanks to these three wonderful artists for their enthusiasm, congeniality and musicianship and to my friend, Prof. Klaus Trumpf for his help and support. Without him this project never would have been possible.

Árni Egilsson

ROMAN PATKOLÓ

Roman Patkoló was born 1982 in Zilina, Slowakia and began his Double Bass studies there with J. Krigovski in 1995.

Only two years later Patkoló won first prize in a national competition in Slowakia and in the following years he won one prize after another in competitions both in Europe and the USA.

He began his studies with Prof. Klaus Trumpf in 1997 and is presently doing his Graduate studies in the Masterclass for Double Bass at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Munich, Germany.

Roman Patkoló has appeared as a soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras in the USA and Europe and has been featured on numerous television shows. He is a member of the celebrated Double Bass Quartet "Bassiona Amarosa" and since 1999 has been a recipient of a stipend from the prestigious Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation.

In June 2005 he won the Glenn Gould International Protégé Prize in Music

In 2005 Mr Patkol'o appeared as soloist with th Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and in April 2007 he will premier, alongside violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Boston Symphony Orchestra a concerto for double bass, violin and orchestra composed and conducted by Sir André Previn.

RUSLAN LUTSYK

Ruslan Lutsyk was born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1975.

He was accepted at the Conservatorium for Gifted Children in Lviv in 1979. There he studied piano but changed his Major to cello 4 years later He began his Double Bass studies in Lviv, Ukraine in 1991 and since 1999 has done Graduate work with Prof. Klaus Trumpf in the Masterclass for Double Bass at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Munich, Germany.

Ruslan has worked with numerous symphony orchestras in Europe, was a member of the State Opera Orchestra in Lviv 1994-1996

and has been a prize winner in many prestigious competitions, both in Europe and in the USA .

Ruslan Lutsyk has appeared several times as soloist with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and he is a member of the celebrated Double Bass Quartet "Bassiona Amarosa.

MILANA CHERNYAVSKA

Born in Kiew, Ukraine, Milana Chernyavska began her piano studies with her mother at the age of 5 and two years later was accepted at the Peter Tschaikowsky Music Conservatorium for Gifted Children in Kiew.

Chernyavska played her first solo concert in Kiew at the age of seven and won her first prize in an international competition at the age of twelve. In the ensuing years she studied with many distinguished teachers in the Ukraine and did her Graduate studies at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Munich, Germany.

Over the years Milana Chernyavska has won great many prizes, both in national and international competitions and has appeared as soloist both with symphony orchestras and chamber orchestras in the Ukraine as well as many other European countries and Japan.

PROF. KLAUS TRUMPF

Prof. Klaus Trumpf's distinguished career includes many spectrums:

After finishing his studies with Horst Butter he attended Masterclasses by the internationally acclaimed bass players and teachers: Hans Fryba, Frantisek Hertl, Lajos Montag, Todor Toschev and Ludwig Streicher. Prof. Trumpf held a position as Principal Bass Player with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and also toured extensively with the "Staatskapelle Berlin" and the chamber orchestra "Camerata Musica".

Since 1970 he has organized and participated in numerous international symposiums in Europe, Asia and Australia and has been on a panel of judges of many international competitions.

Klaus Trumpf has been a Professor of Double Bass at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Saarbrücken and since 1994 has held the post of Professor of Double Bass at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Munich, Germany.

Many of his students are winners of international competitions and hold positions in leading orchestras.

As a Double Bass Soloist, Prof. Trumpf has been featured both on radio and on numerous recordings. He specializes in the music of J.M. Sperger, has written extensively about him and his music and is the founder of the International Sperger Society and organizes its competitions.

FRED KATZ

America´s first jazz cellist, Fred Katz has long been known as one of the great innovators in Western music, as performer, arranger and composer. In the 1950s he was cellist with the Chico Hamilton Quintet. He is an award winning composer of jazz scores for motion pictures and television, including Roger Corman´s "Little Shop of Horrors". His concert works include a cello concerto and numerous compositions for piano, cello jazz ensemble and voice.

His music reflects classical, jazz, Hebraic and anthropological influences. A Professor Emeritus at California State University at Fullerton, Fred Katz is currently composing and studying Chinese mystic religions

J&A

In 1994 Fred Katz wrote a piece for jazz cello and double bass for Jerry Kessler. Jerry and I played it on a program which Fred attended. Fred must have liked what we did, because he went on to write us two more movements and entitled the suite "J&A"

We recorded the work later that year and when programming this CD I felt that it was a perfect addition to the rest of the music on the disc.

Árni Egilsson

JEROME KESSLER

Jerome Kessler is the founder and Principal Cellist of the "Los Angeles Cello Quartet." He is active in solo, chamber and symphonic events and the orchestras of the recording, television and motion picture studios in Los Angeles. A versatile artist, he has performed with Pierre Boulez and Frank Zappa. He has appeared in concert in all four corners of the United States, and in between.

Mr. Kessler is the director of the cello ensemble, "I Cellisti " and the "Hollywood Chamber Orchestra." For the past 20 years he has been Music Director and Conductor of the Topanga Symphony Orchestra.

An exponent of American music, he has commissioned and premiered numerous works for chamber orchestra, cello and multiple celli by such composers as Fred Katz, Lee Holdridge, Bill Marx, Nelson Riddle and Eugene Zador. His own compositions include works for solo and multiple celli, orchestra, brass ensemble, band and voice.

Jerome Kessler has recorded for the Everest and Orion Master Recordings labels.

ÁRNI EGILSSON

Árni Egilsson has earned an international reputation as a Double Bass soloist, having performed in his native Iceland and throughout Europe and the United States. He was brought to the United States by the late Sir John Barbirolli to play with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. While there, he established an enduring relationship with André Previn. A versatile instrumentalist, equally comfortable in jazz and classical venues he has recorded a classical solo album with Vladimir Ashkenazy and a jazz album with Ray Brown. Egilsson is highly regarded as a leading session player in the orchestras of the Los Angeles recording studios serving as Principal Bassplayer for most of Hollywood's top composers. He has been a Professor of Double Bass at California State University, Northridge. In recent years he has become well known as a composer of works for Double Bass, Chamber Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra as well as Solo Voice and Choral works.

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