Jan 29, 2021
089 Leon Bosch: Musical Ambassador
In this episode, I’m so happy to bring you an exceptional person and artist, and one of my favorite musicians, internationally renowned classical double bass virtuoso Leon Bosch.
We covered a wide variety of topics, including:
Leon is a force of nature and a brilliant soul! As you’ll hear in our conversation, his wisdom runs deep and he sets an outstanding example of humanity and artistry for all of us. It was a great honor to speak with him and I know you’ll love our discussion!
Leon Bosch on Contrabass Conversations
Leon Bosch is an internationally renowned classical double bass virtuoso. With over a dozen solo CDs to his name, he regularly commissions repertoire for the instrument, making recital and concerto appearances around the world.
He is professor of double bass at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. But he also gives masterclasses in the US, Europe, South Africa and the Far East, and coaches young eastern European musicians at the I, Culture Orchestra in Poland and the young South Africans who make up the Miagi Orchestra. He also acts as a mentor for South African musicians worldwide.
Leon Bosch grew up in 1960s and 70s South Africa, the son of the political activist Jonas Fred Bosch – he himself spent time in a police cell for organising protests while at school. He left the apartheid regime there to come to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester after achieving one of the highest ever marks awarded for the B Mus performance examination by the University of Cape Town
Remaining in the UK – he is now a British citizen – he was soon appointed principal double bass with the acclaimed Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He left the post in 2014 to devote himself to his solo career, to teaching and to establishing his now thriving chamber ensemble, I Musicanti. He also conducts and has a passion for researching lost or forgotten music for double bass such as by the Catalan Josep Cervera and the Danish court musician, Franz Keyper.
Away from music, Leon Bosch is a regular runner of marathons and ultra-marathons (winning silver medal for his age group in the 2017 86-mile Ridgeway Challenge) and holds a master’s degree in intelligence and international relations from Salford University. ‘I’ve always had a very wide range of interests,’ he says. ‘For example, the thing I’m highest qualified for in my life is international relations, not music. But this is a part of who I am: I’m not just a musician, I’m a human being.’
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THANK YOU:
A HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly, who works hard to make this podcast as pleasant to listen to as possible for you!
Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show’s musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.
Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction! You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home.
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