Lakeside Symphony Orchestra Concert with Xavier Foley, Double Bass

Fauré, Gabriel                       Pavane, op.50 <1887>       7′

Foley, Xavier                         Soul Bass: Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra       20’

                                           Foley, double bass

_________

Dvořák, Antonín                    Symphony No.5, op.76, B. 54, F major <1875>       36′

                                                      I. Allegro ma non troppo

                                                      II. Andante con moto

                                                      III. Scherzo: Allegro scherzando

                                                      IV. Finale: Allegro molto

 

A trailblazing artist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Foley is redefining the role of the bassist in 21st-century music. He is a double bassist of staggering technical prowess and expressive depth, and a composer with a rare ability to bring his own artistic voice to the stage. His programs highlight both his virtuosic playing and his distinctive compositional language. With jaw-dropping technique, soulful expression and bold artistic vision, he brings new life to an instrument seldom heard at center stage.

 

Foley has composed several groundbreaking works. Among them is Soul Bass, a concerto commissioned and premiered by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Heyward. His work For Justice and Peace for violin, double bass and string orchestra — co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the Sphinx Organization and the New World Symphony — has been praised for its powerful message and genre-blending style.

 

Other concerti include Victory for double bass and string orchestra and Resurrection of Titan for violin, double bass and orchestra, commissioned by the Cabrillo Festival in association with the Mahler Foundation. These works have been performed by ensembles across the U.S., including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Sphinx Virtuosi, Kansas City Symphony, New West Symphony, Orchestra Lumos, Nashville Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra.

 

Foley has collaborated with conductors including Mei-Ann Chen, Cristian Măcelaru, David Danzmayr, Michael Christie, Michael Stern, Xian Zhang, Carlos Kalmar and Thomas Wilkins. Committed to expanding the repertoire for solo double bass and chamber ensembles, he continues to explore the full expressive and technical range of the instrument through a diverse catalog of original works.

 

He has captivated audiences with critically acclaimed recital appearances at leading venues and series such as New York’s Kaufman Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Shriver Hall, Rockport Music, La Jolla Music Society, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Morgan Library & Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Harriman-Jewell Series. A sought-after collaborative artist, he has appeared at the Marlboro Music Festival, Tippet Rise, Bridgehampton and Skaneateles Festivals and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

 

Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Foley is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. He won the 2016 Young Concert Artists’ International Auditions, is an alumnus of the Perlman Music Program and performs on a custom double bass made by Rumano Solano.