The National Centre for Young Bass Players
Welcome
Now in its 39th year, Bass Club has given students the specialist tuition they need to reach and go beyond their ambitions. Courses are tailored to the individual's needs and the atmosphere is uniquely supportive.
Whether you are an advanced player taking professional auditions or a young player going on your first specialist course these amazing possibilities are available to you.
The repertoire, teaching and communication styles have been developed over many years.
Bass Club offers a number of courses throughout the year which coincide with UK school holidays; in spring for younger bassists, summer and Christmas for students at all levels.
Summer School 2025
We are pleased to announce that this year's Summer School will once agin be held within the fabulous environment of the Yehudi Menuhin School. If you want to brush up, perform more, progress, be around amazing players within this specialist environment, then this is the place to do it!
We are delighted to announce that Mikyung Sung has agreed to join us this year as our special international guest tutor. She is an amazing bass soloist and musician. She has just been honoured for solo performance at the International Society of Bassists 2025.
The dates are:
Advanced Seminar August 25th – 28th (Orchestral / soloist, by invitation) £440
Advanced Course 25th - 28th August (Grade 8 and above, invited or by tape) £440
Main Course 25th - 28th August (Minimum Grade 6) £440
Junior Course 25th - 28th August £430
The fees include accommodation and all meals as well as musical tuition and supervised free time activities
To apply:
Please send details of name, address, e-mail address and telephone number to bassclub@blueyonder.co.uk, indicating which course you are applying for.
Tutors on this year's Summer School include:
Caroline Emery (Course Director) Professor at the Royal College of Music, Yehudi Menuhin School and Den Haag
Jan Alm (Co Director) Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Professor at Gothenburg University
Frances Preston Royal College of Music Junior Department and freelance player, former Bassclubber.
Tom Goodman London Symphony Orchestra and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, former Bassclubber
Mikyung Sung International soloist, International Society of Bassists special recognition award for solo performance 2025
Virtual Junior Course August 2020
This was an enormously successful new venture led by Caroline, Frances and our new international guest tutor Tracy Rowell. The course was designed to encourage our younger students and there was a mixture of lessons, masterclasses, technique point classes, group activities and then the hang, run by Caroline with suggestions from the lovely Ayesha who normally comes on our courses as house staff adviser. We managed to negotiate the time difference for Tracy who was teaching from Cleveland, Ohio and at the same time as some of her children were returning to school for the first time in months. We were so happy also to welcome Issac who was calling in from Washington DC, having recently moved back to the USA thanks to this pandemic. We miss him dreadfully but are happy that he was able to join from his new home.
Our featured project of the week was a new piece written by Anthony Bailey. Anthony was one of the young composers who wrote a piece for Bass Club in 1998 as part of our chamber music drive with funding from the National Lottery. Now he is a successful composer and educator, teaching alongside Frances and Caroline at the Royal College of Music Junior Department. He produced a wonderful three-part piece and there is a further arrangement with piano. Contact Bass Club if you want to order it.
Please enjoy the recordings of our first virtual project, with many many thanks to Anthony, as well as some of the pictures from the course. The students of course are very quick to learn the ins and outs of Zoom, as you can see from the art work on one of the screen shots. It is amazing how much everyone got out of the course and what fun we had despite being far apart. Thanks to everyone who participated in a memorable event. Bass is best!!! despite the pandemic.