Ahead of her Carnegie Hall debut on 2 December, the prize-winning double bassist speaks to The Strad about filling the space with double bass music, as well as which piece makes her want to get up and dance
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Double bassist Nina Bernat has been no stranger to the competition news pages of The Strad over the last few years — the 24-year-old boasts an impressive list of accolades, including an Avery Fisher Career Grant, winner of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Elmaleh Competition, as well as first prizes at numerous competitions.
Bernat has been awarded the 2024 Ruiz Award, a Carnegie Hall recital opportunity given each year to one artist diploma student at the Juilliard School, where she received the prestigious Kovner Fellowship and studies with Tim Cobb and Astrid Schween. In a space where perhaps solo double bass recitals are rare, Bernat will be performing Mendelssohn, Janáček, Prokofiev, Walker, and Shinuh Lee in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, along with pianist Umi Garrett.
Bernat chatted with The Strad ahead of her momentous debut.
How does it feel to be making your Carnegie Hall debut? It’s regarded as such a hallowed and renowned space for musicians - what are your memories of concerts attended there?
It’s such an honour to be able to perform at this hall as a soloist. I have, of course, attended many inspirational performances at Carnegie and even performed there myself in a number of bass sections, but being featured in this way in a double bass recital is going to be very special.
Tell us about the repertoire you’ve chosen for the recital - is there a particular theme that the choices adhere to?
The recital is really a celebration of melody and song. The bass is often overlooked as a singing instrument, but this music brings out its voice in the most beautiful way.
I will be starting with Prokofiev’s Five Melodies, a collection of songs originally for voice. There will also be a world premiere of Shinuh Lee’s Seomjib-agi or Island Baby which was commissioned for me by the Juilliard School. It’s a beautifully simple lullaby and a way for me to incorporate my Korean roots into the programme.
The grand finale of the programme is Mendelssohn’s Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, which has always been a piece that makes me want to get up and dance.
The bass is often overlooked as a singing instrument, but this music brings out its voice in the most beautiful way
Can you tell us your thoughts on the double bass as a solo instrument?
I think the bass might be coming into a sort of Renaissance era with soloists being able to sustain unique careers, with more and more pieces being written for the instrument. There’s always some resistance to the idea of the bass being a solo instrument, whether that be due to the lack of repertoire or just the instrument’s more well-understood role in the orchestra. Part of my mission as a musician is to introduce audiences to the world of the bass which, once exposed to it, can be irresistible.
Finally, as winner of awards such as an Avery Fisher Career Grant and at numerous competitions, what’s your plan for the future after your studies and beyond?
In addition to performing, I get excited by commissioning new works, transcribing old ones, and teaching. This autumn, I started teaching at Stony Brook University, and it’s been such a joy to be involved in my students’ musical journeys. I really want to use my position as both a performer and teacher to empower aspiring musicians, especially young women, and find ways to reimagine the role of the bass in the music world.
Nina Bernat performs at the Leo B. Ruiz Memorial Recital at 7:30pm on Monday 2 December at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall. Find out more here.
Read: Bass instinct: a new generation of double bass players
Read: Royal Scottish National Orchestra appoints new principal double bass
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