George Amorim is
Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Texas Pan
American. He holds a Doctor of Musical Degree in Double Bass
Performance with a minor in Orchestral Conducting from the
University of North Texas, a Master of Music from Baylor University
and a Bachelor Degree from the Ceará State University. Before
joining the UTPA faculty in 2006 Dr. Amorim served the University of
North Texas as assistant to the world renowned performer and
pedagogue Jeff Bradetich.
In addition to his formal
studies, Dr. Amorim has also pursued advanced training with
Francesco Petracchi in Italy and with David Sinclair from the
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
at the TafelMusic
Baroque Music Institute in Toronto. Dr. Amorim also devotes time to
the studies of early music and historical performance practices of
the baroque and Viennese violones.
Dr. Amorim’s performances
have taken him to Europe and across Central, South and North
America, with concert credentials that include eight years as a full
time member of the Paraná State and Recife Symphony Orchestras in
Brazil and, since 2003, as a member of the Santo Domingo Music
Festival Orchestra under Phillip Entremont. He currently performs
with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra in addition to regular
guest appearances with various ensembles in the United States,
Europe and Brazil.
As a soloist, George was
a prize winner at the Paraiba Music Award in 1996 and finalist at
the Young Talents Award in 1999 and as a member of the Zenamon
Quintet, an ensemble dedicated to the promotion of the music of
Latin American composers, he was a first prize winner in both the
Honorina Barra International Chamber Music Competition and the
Curitiba Chamber Music Award in 1999.
An educator in demand,
Dr. Amorim’s articles on double bass pedagogy has been published by
Bass World and
Strings magazines. He has
been a featured clinician, adjudicator and consultant in several
states and abroad, most recently at the 2006 Texas Music Educators
Association Convention in San Antonio, TX and at the International
Society of Bassists Convention in Oklahoma City in 2007 and the
Chicago Bass Festival in 2011.
Dr. Amorim heads a
thriving double bass studio at UTPA, which inspired him to organize
the ¡Viva el Bajo!, an
organization that promotes double bass playing in south Texas and
helps inspire and guide young musicians in their studies of the
double bass.
Dr. Amorim spends his
summers teaching and performing in various programs such as the Pan
American Music Festival, the Abilene Summer Music Festival and,
starting in July 2011, he will direct the Pan American Double Bass
Summer Institute at UTPA. George performs on an Italian double bass
from the late 1700’s and a bow made by Marco Pasquino.
Check out:
www.vivaelbajo.org
www.vivaelbajo.org/Summer_Institute.html
Visiting Artists
Double Bass students at
UTPA also have the opportunity to hear and work with the finest
musicians in the world through master classes and clinics.
Visiting artists are made
possible through the generous support of local businesses, the
Department of Music and Dance, the COAH Dean’s Office and the ¡Viva
el Bajo! Educational Services.
Listed below are some of
the artists who have visited our department to perform and teach:
• Christopher Buddo,
Director of the Eastern Carolina University School of Music and
concert artist (2011)
• Alexandre Ritter,
Soloist and Professor of Double Bass at the Federal University of
Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil (2011)
• James VanDemark,
Eastman School of Music Double Bass Professor and concert artist
(2011)
• Jeff Bardetich,
University of North Texas Double Bass Professor and concert artist
(2008, 2010)
• Catalin Rotaru, Arizona
State University Double Bass Professor, concert and recording artist
(2009)
• Dr.Gudrun Raschen,
Tarleton State University Double Bass Professor and concert artist
(2008)
• Dr. Sonya Ray, Federal
University of Goiás Double Bass Professor and Scholar (2008)
• Tony Rosario, Abilene
Philharmonic Principal Bass (2009)
• Carolina Melchiori,
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Double Bass Professor (2009)
• Joao Titton, Professor
at State University of Santa Catarina, Brazil (2007)