Remembering Bassist Gary Karr (1941-2025)
For those who haven't heard, the great double bass soloist Gary Karr died Wednesday of a brain aneurysm. He had been recently diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer. He was 83.
Bassist Gary Karr. Photo courtesy Wikimedia.I know this is a violin site, but there's a fair amount of viola activity here, some cello-related posts, and if there should ever be anything here about the bass fiddle, this is it!
Gary Karr was the most prominent solo bassist of the 20th Century, and if you don't know who he was, I encourage you to Google him. Born in Los Angeles into a family of bassists, Gary studied at the Aspen Music Festival and the Juilliard School, where his major teachers included Herman Reinshagen and Stuart Sankey. He performed "The Swan" in a nationally televised Young People's Concert with New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein and later recorded the piece with them. He went on to perform as a soloist with major orchestras around the world, to premiere many new works written for him and to record. He taught double bass on the faculties of the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory of Music, The Hartt School, Yale University, Indiana University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Halifax (Nova Scotia) Schools Music Program and also wrote pedagogical books.
But I'd like to share my own memories of him.
My father and grandfather were bass players, and so is my uncle, so at some time before I was born, the bass-playing Slapin family became friends with Gary and his husband and accompanist Harmon Lewis. (Harmon died two and a half years ago.) In addition to visits to their homes in Connecticut and later Canada, I remember Gary and Harmon visiting us every year or so for a few days in the house I grew up in in New Jersey. We played chamber music, told jokes, and talked about music. Gary had a great sense of humor and collected viola jokes.
To tie this post in more with a violin website, Gary actually talked quite a bit about the violin. Though foremost in his mind was singing (especially that of the great opera star Jennie Tourel), he talked quite a bit about what he learned along the way watching people like Jascha Heifetz and Mischa Elman, especially when it came to the bow. Unlike most teachers, he talked far more about the bow than the left hand. And much of that he seemed to have gotten from the great violinists of his time.
I got to see him play (and teach) at many bass conventions, as a soloist with the American Symphony (in NYC), and at his final concert nearly 25 years ago in Indiana. And of course I grew up with many of his recordings and videos. Gary's playing alternated between entertaining virtuosic material (which he often 'played up' for the audience) and very intensely beautiful slower music.
BELOW: Gary Karr performs "When I Wake," a Canadian maritime folk song:
It's this second category where he really sang through the bass. I'm not usually a fan of a performer making facial expressions while playing, but Gary is an exception to that rule. Mainly because I thought it always fit the music and therefore it added to it and wasn't a distraction from it.
Gary was a real one-of-a-kind. A musical hero of mine, yet also just a fun guy who used to come visit my parents in New Jersey. RIP!
Replies
I really appreciated this remembrance.
There were some really lovely comments to this article on Violinist.com's Facebook page, and so I would like to share them here:
Ann Osborne
I met Gary at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic years ago (I think it was 1992). He was so kind and friendly! He graciously allowed me to take his photo (he was wearing a really fun “bass is beautiful” sweatshirt that had a teddy bear playing the bass embroidered on it). I had that photo in my office for many years. May he rest in peace.
Susan Miller
I remember he was in the next practice room in Puerto Rico in 1960 and I was dumbfounded when I saw through the window a teen standing on a wooden box playing “Tarantella” on his Bass! He sounded fantastic and when he came out several of us clapped for him. Shortly after that he performed “The Swan” in New York with the Philharmonic and that started his legendary career!
What a wonderful musician and amazing person! Thank you for all your music Gary!
Kittikhun Sodprasert
I was in the Orchestra for Cathy Pacific Youth Music Camp 1979 in Hong Kong and Maestro Karr was one of the soloists, another soloist was Lord Menuhin. That was a memorable moment of my life because it was the first music camp abroad of my life and it was the very first time to play with two world class soloist and Maestro Karr was phenomenon for me.
There was a story about the conductor in the camp (not mention his name.) and he was not very friendly to the participants and Maestro Karr had seen it every rehearsal. So in the concert, Maestro Karr got him back for us by extending the cadenza without telling the conductor in advance. Maestro Karr pretended to go for the final cadence, and instead of leading in to the last tutti he continued the cadenza (of course all the cadenzas he improvised himself, every time) - that made the embarrassment for the conductor himself and he couldn't do anything just to follow Maestro Karr. We owed Maestro Karr big time.
Really sad, and I would like to express my sincere condolences to him and whoever was standing by him in the last moment.
Great Artist, Great man.
Harold Shapiro
Many years ago, I stage managed a chamber music performance that Gary Karr was playing in The Trout.
He was charming and kind.
I recall that violist Toby Hoffman was also performing that night. They both had instruments attributed to Amati, so were comparing their beautiful bass and viola.
Brian Council
I saw him in concert twice and loved every minute
Kim Warren
I enjoyed his performance with the Amarillo Symphony so much. He came to our symphony party afterwards. What a great guy. He will be missed.
Carolyn Osborne
I used to go to a music camp where he was one of the artists in residence. He was nice to us youngsters and had a wonderful sense of humor. At the time I didn't realize how lucky I was.
Karen L Davidowitz
A real special musician bringing attention to a much neglected instrument!
Nick Lloyd
Founded the International Society of Bassists (ISB) in 1976.
Derry Deane
My funny lovely friend
Richard, I do feel really lucky to have known both Gary and Harmon, two really first-class musicians! At various points they encouraged me both in playing and composing. I think in general they were very positive in encouraging others in music, which is not always the case with musicians in their class.
And thanks for reposting all of those comments, Laurie! It reminds me of how much they toured. Gary and Harmon seem to have played absolutely everywhere.
Gary told me that his favorite thing about retiring was not having to deal with the airlines and his bass. I think were it not for that, he might've kept on quite a bit longer.
Re ~ My Longtime Friend/Colleague and Duo Double Concerto Virtuoso Bassist, now late Gary Karr, whom I will miss the rest of my Life {#5}
I first met Gary Karr in the late 1950s at CA USC Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Camp which was 6000 feet up in the San Jacinto Mountains, going there every Summer for Music Instruction in mainly major orchestral repertoire and in Chamber Music, and firstly bumping into Gary Karr, a jovial fella' and fun as could be about Life as also learning musician with many Jokes and a Love of Life in general! We got on marvellously from our first Impromptu meeting in ISOMATA's Bowman Theatre which was outdoors yet covered with a big cloth ceiling amid Rocks on Boulders to the back right of the audience seating ... Gary once when hearing my Concertmaster Solo's invited me to play the fabled Botessini Duo Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass which at that time I had not learned but due to Gary's insistence I did study it whilst at Idyllwild and we rehearsed it most gladly! I must've become Gary's "Go to Violinist" always talking to him about Violin Bowing and the differences between Franco-Belgian Bowing and the Carl Flesch School of Bowing (for non Violinists, Henryk Szeryng the Great Violinist was a Prime Example of the Flesch School of dictatorial Bowing and a bit Stiff yet nevertheless getting the "Job" done) yet many years later I would be placed in a blessed violin mentor situation after studying with Jascha Heifetz in his first Original Violin Master Class at USC, and only 1 of the 7 Original Violin Pupil's of Jascha Heifetz! Prior to honour studying with "God", aka, Jascha Heifetz, Gary and I would see each other & converse largely about Mr. Heifetz, whom he more than revered and wanted to know everything he could find out and all about Heifetz! His interest in Violin Bowing was of true genuine Interest to me and in retrospect, it now makes sense for a Virtuoso Double Bass Artist, I will term Gary Karr, "The Heifetz of The Double Bass", and learning much about the trajectory of the Bow on a Bridge of the Violin was of immense fascination to Gary Karr ... *Subject Bass Bowing, tbc!*
We lost touch when I received the 2 Yr Fulbright Fellowship to London, UK, and for Two Full Years @ RCM {Royal College of Music} although I started to hear about "Our" Gary over there, "Across The Pond", and with great pride having known Gary for at least 7 years by then! I also knew of Gary's great kindness to all of his musician friends at Idyllwild & feelings he had of our Cheerleader Section with All of Us and some of our Group then becoming globally acclaimed after intense studies under my String Education fabled father/Conductor of every Youth Orchestra in LA and then spreading across America, Ralph Matesky, and whom Gary Karr 'bothered' about Bowing's of Orchestral Parts for Double Bass when in the Honour Idyllwild Orchestra {later Concert Touring in England/So. Wales and a year following a Full Scandinavian Concert Tour of All Scandinavia excepting Finland} but Poppa knew much about the Dble Bass, indeed, having mentored without pay, Henry Lewis, first African American from Compton, CA, to be hired Principal Double Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, after being tutored by Ralph Matesky and in our home for 2.5 solid years!!! So Poppa was 'On' when it came to the Double Bass issues of Technique and Bowing which actually, {following my 3.5 Years of Private Advanced Bowing Studies with Nathan Milstein, in London}, I had answers for Double Basso and the bowing of many orchestral parts in major Symphonic Repertoire and which still fascinates me to this writing doing All Inner Circle Bowing's for Violin I, II, Viola, Violoncello and Double Basso in many major Symphonies of Beethoven; Brahms; Schumann; Tchaikovsky #6, aka, "Pathetique", and Sibelius Symphonies #2; 5 and Seven, to just give a profile of this Author remembering a Great Friend and one of Two rare Genius Double Bassists to ever Walk God's Earth, Gary Karr. I must add, Gary did meet Serge Koussevitsky at Tanglewood with his playing attracting great interest of Maestro (Conductor) Serge Koussevitsky, and they became Friends with Koussevitsky Top Bassist realising the immense Gifts for Playing the Double Bass his much younger then pupil/colleague was displaying!! In fact, S. Koussevitsky so impressed with 'our' Gary Karr from (ISOMATA & Juilliard) actually gifted Gary Karr his Double Bass which was a rare Amati Double Bass and the only one known in the entire world and to play for his Life ... This, dear people, was unparalleled and would later remain in the forefront of Gary's loving memory when in Anno 2005, Gary Karr gifted then titled his 'Karr-Koussevitsky' Double Bass to a Foundation for young Dble Bass players to have a chance to play and be inspired in doing so ... This Act of GK's Immense Generosity will Live on to Infinitum due to the rich and loving Person of Gary Karr, and Kindnesses to All with whom he came into contact over his entire Life of Concert Artist Touring and Recording plus other Musical Activities as Above outlined by close friend, Mr. Slapin, a Double Bassist himself and from a Family reaching way back to Double Bassists in the Family Slapin!! I wish to commend Scott Slapin for his very loving Tribute to Gary Karr and to thank him for such a beautiful 'Ode to Gary Karr' on Violinist.com, which is truly lovely sharing many other Comments about Gary Karr with V.com's International String Audience, and Thanks to Laurie Niles, Editor who provided much space to do so for a Truly Grandest Musician Hero who was **The Heifetz of The Double Bass, No Question and had along with his classical magnificence also a Jazz Fun Side which lent him an extra dimension in his music making and a funny face when (as pointed out on here by Scott Slapin) appropriate with the Themes of the Music he was offering with Tons of Fun when it Was Truly Tons of Fun for Gary Karr to step into his funny role of 'Double Bass Guy' for many enchanted American, Asian & European Plus Israeli Audiences!!!
I could write much more but will close for now and can only write of my shock learning of the Passing of a Lifetime Friend and Wondrous Colleague born in a simple place & when playing his Bass Fiddle, roared like a Lion musically throughout the GOAT Concert Venue's across Planet Earth and now Above with God in His Garden of Greatest Musicians and chatting with Hero's Heifetz; Milstein; Elman; greeting his friend/mentor, Serge Koussevitsky 'Up There' and looking down on all of us left here Saluting Gary Karr, GOAT Double Bass Virtuoso of both the Twentieth and Twenty First Centuries thus far and with Love amid joyful memories forever in our Hearts ... R I P my Friend ~ Your Violin Duo Lizzie Partner, "Liz", Elisabeth Matesky, violin daughter of Poppa Ralph who loved you & made darn sure You Would not only succeed but Glory Prevail Globally in every music genre you chose to share with The World Of Music's Global Audiences ...
~ ~ ~ Thanking Laurie Niles for this Loving Tribute ~ ~ ~
........... Elisabeth Matesky, 'Liz' to Gary Karr RIP ...........
Fwd ~ dmg {#5} *Book File GK Passing*
More responses from this post, these from the International Cello Society FB page:
Karolina Jaroszewska
Amazing bass player, musician, and human being....I had a privilage to play a duo with Him once in Poland....
William Howard
Brilliant bassist, musician, gentleman
I saw him at Wigmore in 78 - stunning
Robert Borter
A great musician, sorry to hear he is gone.
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July 18, 2025 at 03:27 PM · Thank you Scott for a beautiful and thought-provoking tribute, and what a privilege for you to have known Gary Karr.