IMPROMPTU
IMPROMPTU
David Sheets
BASS
HAVE BASS — WILL TRAVEL
Associate Principal Bass David Sheets chose his instrument at age 14 in part as a way to stand out from the crowd . “ I played cello and didn ’ t really like it a whole lot because there were so many cellos already . I was going to be the only bass player , so I did that instead ,” says Sheets . “ I didn ’ t realize I ’ d have to carry it .”
Sheets , who proclaims a love of travel , began playing professionally in 1991 , and music has taken him to a number of destinations ever since . Originally from Kansas , he played in the Rochester Philharmonic and the St . Louis Symphony before settling in Baltimore in 1996 .
A highlight of his time with the BSO took Sheets to Berlin , one of his favorite cities . “ We played at the Philharmonie in Berlin with Temirkanov doing the ‘ Eroica ’ Symphony with nine basses ,” says Sheets of his favorite concert memory . “ It was really awesome . There have been a lot of good performances , but that was big .”
While bass-playing can sometimes be an impediment to traveling (“ I have to practice , so I can ’ t bring a bass everywhere with me ”), it has also opened up opportunities for Sheets that might not have otherwise materialized . “ I teach over in Hong Kong in the summers , and this last summer we went on a tour of the whole world , so I was able to go to a bunch of places I had always wanted to go .” Sheets and some of his students ( pictured ) were even featured in the film In Search of Perfect Consonance , a 2016 documentary about the Asian Youth Orchestra . “ I even have an IMDb entry now , go figure .”
Sheets ’ other preferred destinations include Tokyo , London , Amsterdam and Vienna , and a summer trip to Italy sparked a new interest in that country : “ I recently spent the most time I ’ ve ever spent in Italy and liked everywhere I went there ,” says Sheets . And as for what ' s up next on his list ? " I would love to see some places in Africa and the Middle East , and after going to Cuba with the Minnesota Orchestra a couple of years ago , I would like to explore the Caribbean ."
MITRO HOOD
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