Double Bass Ensemble welcoming new students

The Meyer Double Bass Ensemble, led by Ethan Ireland, provides a strong musical foundation for young students (aged 7 years and over).

The double bass ensemble is part of the Junior Strings Program (JSP), which is the first of its kind in NSW – a year-long commitment where dedicated students will be fully immersed in a musical experience. Applications to begin in 2024 are now open. Parents are asked to fill out the Junior Strings Application Form – now available online.

“After a term of lessons, students will be placed in an ensemble to begin developing group playing skills as well as building their musical community. Each student will be assigned a JSP instructor, who they will work with at their own pace to further develop their technical and musical abilities.”

Adrian Davis

Head of Junior Strings, WollCon

The Meyer Double Bass Ensemble – is for beginner students who are interested in learning the largest member of the violin family – the double bass. Students in this ensemble will perform as a bass ensemble as well as part of the Primrose Training Orchestra. Upon completion of the first-year students will graduate into the Llewelyn String Orchestra.

Students have an opportunity to work with some of the country’s best string teachers through masterclasses, workshops, and holiday camps.

Since the JSP began in 2022, young participants have attended workshops and masterclasses with WollCon staff and visiting artists such as Goetz Richter of the Sydney Conservatorium and Kees Boersma and Alex Henery of the Sydney Symphony orchestra. Participants have enjoyed a series of holiday camps and performed in the Church on the Mall as part of the inaugural Culture Mix Festival.

The Junior String Spectacular has become an annual event that brings the regions young strings players together. In 2023 the festival brought together junior string groups from the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven, and Merimbula regions. The Meyer Double Bass Ensemble have been a highlight each year.

Student’s focussed classes and performances with Artists in Residence, the Enigma Quartet, and members of the Sydney Symphony Fellows during 2023, has seen our young string players further develop their skills and inspired them to continue their orchestral journey.

Enrol for the Junior Strings Program

More about Ethan:

Ethan Ireland (pictured above) began playing Double Bass at the age of 12. He went on to study at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in 2016. He has been a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra, has attended the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp, and took part in the 2016 Hennessy Concert Series with Stars of Opera Australia at the Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam.

Ethan has performed as a soloist with Steel City Strings, and is a regular member of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Steel City Strings, and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing with many other groups and ensembles around NSW, Ethan also teaches some of the next generation of young Double Bass players in the Sydney, Wollongong, and Southern Highlands areas.