Sidney King
Sidney King: Five Miniatures for double bass quartet
Sidney King: Five Miniatures for double bass quartet
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About the Composition
This is a set of five short pieces for double bass quartet, composed in 2025 and premiered in November 2025 at the University of Louisville. The first movement, Baile Rustico is a flamenco-inspired buleria nueva, featuring alternating meters of 6/8 and 3/4 with contrasting sections in 7/8.
The second movement, Song is an expressively lyric number in alternating meters of 6/8 and 2/4, which could also be expressed as 5/4. Scherzo is a playful movement which features quartal harmony and mixed meter. The Interlude is a reflective movement with harmonic motion over a pedal G natural. The fifth movement, For Your Smile, features a sweet, expressive melody, again in mixed meter.
Baile Rustico was composed in March 2021. The sketches for the other movements all came forth in in a Nashville coffee shop in the spring of 2023, and they were completed in fall 2025. I am grateful to Jessie Scout Dobson, Sarah Ransom, and Jordan Wright for lending their energy to bringing this piece to life.
-Sidney King
About the Composer
Sidney King’s multi-faceted career as a double bassist spans over four decades. His extensive experience as an orchestral performer includes appearances with some of the most prestigious ensembles in the country. He has performed with the symphonies of Detroit, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Buffalo, and Nashville, as well as with the Louisiana Philharmonic and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He held the position of Assistant Principal Bassist of the Louisville Orchestra from 1984-2006. He has performed at the Grand Teton Music Festival since 1991, and has served as principal bassist of the Houston Grand Opera, the Texas Opera Theater, the Sunflower Music Festival, and the Des Moines Metro Opera.
As a recitalist, Mr. King has presented solo performances at universities and conservatories throughout North and South America. Performances include recitals at the University of Iowa, Rice University, Indiana University, Duquesne University, University of Minnesota, Florida State University, University of Tennessee, University of Memphis, Ohio University, the University of Costa Rica in San José, CR, and the Conservatory Salvador Bustamante Celi in Ecuador.
As co-founder, performer, composer and arranger with the nationally prominent progressive flamenco ensemble Al Sur, Mr. King has appeared on stages, in theaters, and on broadcasts throughout the country, and has been featured as soloist with orchestras such as the San Diego Symphony and the Louisville Orchestra.
A gifted and dedicated teacher, Sidney King is currently Professor of Double Bass and Music Education at the University of Louisville School of Music. He was the Double Bass faculty/artist at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival 2006-2017. In 2011 and 2015, King was named University Teacher of the Year by the American String Teachers Association of Kentucky, and was awarded College Teacher of the Year, 2021 by the Kentucky Music Educators Association. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American String Teachers Association (2016-2018) and the International Society of Bassists (2003-2005).
