Penn State Double Bass Studio

Congratulations to all string players on their juries this semester! The following students have been selected for special jury awards:

Director’s Distinguished Performance Award
Recital: 8/28 at 7:30 pm in the Recital Hall

Jimena Herrera, violin (graduate)

Jury Honors (alphabetical order)
Common Hour Performances on 8/28, 9/4, or 9/11

Andre Nadeau, violin
Katie Nugent, viola
Jonathan Schwartz, cello

Today we celebrate Owen Wright!

Being an engineering major and not a music major never stopped Owen from being deeply involved in our bass studio and musical community throughout all four years at . From lessons to ensembles to every single bass studio gathering, Owen was always there, bringing dedication and positivity wherever he went.

He was a valued member of Glee Club, Campus Orchestra, and Philharmonic Orchestra, balancing the demanding world of engineering while continuing to grow as a bassist and artist. We still remember his very first lesson working through the Vance Progressive Repertoire, and now here we are watching him graduate after putting together a recital of his own, including Sam Suggs’ Postlude… singing and playing at the same time is still absolutely wild to us.

Owen, we are so proud of everything you have accomplished and of the balance, commitment, and passion you brought to both engineering and music. Thank you for all the memories and music over these past four years. We will miss you very much and wish you nothing but success and happiness in everything that comes next. Congratulations!

Today we celebrate the incredible journey of Pearl Lin and all that she has accomplished during her time at . We could not be more proud of you, Pearl, and of the musician, leader, and person you have become.

Pearl truly embodies what is possible when someone puts their mind and heart fully into their craft. When she first arrived, she did not even have an instrument of her own, yet through determination, resilience, curiosity, and countless hours of hard work, she not only overcame challenges but consistently went above and beyond in every way imaginable.

During her time here, Pearl received jury honors, represented the strings area in the Director’s Distinguished Performance Award, became a concerto competition finalist, attended festivals around the country, performed in numerous masterclasses and workshops, played as soloist with orchestra for the first time, performed two recitals, and appeared with regional orchestras. As President of the Penn State Society of Bassists, she also played a crucial role in creating opportunities and making bass events happen for the entire Penn State community. And honestly, we could keep going, but there are only so many characters allowed in one post 😂

What makes all of this even more meaningful is the spirit with which Pearl approached everything she did. She brought dedication, warmth, generosity, positivity, and genuine love for music into every rehearsal, lesson, performance, and interaction. She lifted up those around her and left a lasting mark on our studio and community.

Pearl, thank you for everything you have given to Penn State Bass and . We will miss you tremendously, but we are also so excited to watch what comes next for you because this is only the beginning! Congratulations on your graduation and on all you have achieved. We are endlessly proud of you.

Bass Studio Party to complete the end of the semester!! Have a great summer everyone!

Today was the final presentation for our Bass Pedagogy class where we had beginning bass players give a final recital! After a semesters worth of lessons, we had both bass players and non-bass players show off what they learned!

Huge congratulations to Dr. Weitzel () who did an amazing performance of the Andrés Martín Concerto No. 1 with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra ()!! We are so proud of and inspired by you!!

Shoutout to Jaimes (), Alex (), Sarah, Eli (), and Owen () for their performances in the composition recitals yesterday!! They premiered a bunch of double bass solos written by students!

Shoutout to Nick () and Mitch for their performance with the Rock Ensemble last night!!