Ardashes Agoshian
Vision on teaching
What is your dream about your future career as a double bassist? Have you ever thought about being a soloist? Or an ensemble player? Or an orchestra musician? A specialist of the double bass? Or a teacher? Just share with us your vision and we will guide you in the best possible way to realise it!
Although the double bass has been fully developed only recently, the last few years have witnessed a growing interest in this beautiful instrument. AMPA offers a course for this versatile bass instrument with diverse stylistic possibilities. Whatever path you choose, you will be trained to master the instrument fully with special emphasis on the flexibility of adapting to diverse styles from Baroque to contemporary. The course will cover solo and transcribed famous and canonical repertoire.
Collaboration with other musicians is always empowering. As well as being part of the string department, you will also be given the opportunity to perform with musicians from other departments and artists from the fine arts. We will also work together on creating your own ideas and developing your own projects.
In the Bachelor Course you will have weekly lessons with your double bass teacher (Ardashes Agoshian) and a rehearsal with a pianist to work on repertoire.
In the Master’s Course, AMPA gives you the opportunity to shape your own educational plan. Ardashes Agoshian will guide you in whatever you would you like to specialise in.
We are looking forward to you joining us!
Biography
Ardashes Agoshian is a double bassist, a prolific composer, music director, orchestral and choral conductor, academics and double bass instructor based in Amsterdam. He has played solo double bass both home and abroad in various places, most notable venue being Amsterdam Concertgebouw. His double bass made in 1890 in present-day Czech Republic by one the most famous luthiers in his time, Benjamin Patočka, as a solo instrument constructed as an imitation of the violin.
He is notable for his compositions and arrangements numbering over a hundred. These have been performed in Turkey as well as in various countries ranging from Canada to England by such significant names as Prof. Cihat Askin and Steinway artist Sahan Arzruni. His concerto for double bass solo and a cappella choir named “Romeo ve Juliet,” the first of its kind, was world-premiered in 2011 in a joint concert by CorISTAnbul Chamber Choir and Ensemble Vocal from Hamburg. He has also participated in CD recordings for Naxos and other companies.
Agoshian has recently completed his master’s degree in Early Music (Violone) with Prof. Margaret Urquhart from Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has received his B.A., master’s and doctorate in Double Bass from Istanbul University State Conservatory with Prof. Tahir Sümer.
He is also a Composition and Orchestral Conducting Fellow of the London College of Music. He also studied composition and conducting with Selman Ada and Orhan Salliel. He taught double bass and chamber music at the IUSC and is the conductor of the youth choir of the conservatory. He is the founder-director of CorISTAnbul Chamber Choir, an international chamber choir, and HayCappella, the first independent Armenian chamber choir in Istanbul. He regularly gave concerts with his Baroque ensemble at various churches in Istanbul, CorISTAnbul Baroque Orchestra. He studied as Kappelmeister and Organist in German Protestant Church, Armenian Protestant Church and Armenian Orthodox Church. He has also studied as guest conductor at many projects, staged by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.
Agoshian gives solo double bass recitals, orchestral and choral concerts throughout the year.
