David Heyes: Still Alive - Five Miniatures for unaccompanied double bass

About the Composition

Composed in 2025 for Susan Hagen, Still Alive is a suite of five miniatures for unaccompanied double bass, lasting around six minutes in total. The piece encapsulates a wealth of colors and soundscapes across the entire register of the double bass, employing different playing styles and techniques to demonstrate the many facets and possibilities of the solo double bass.

“Teppo and I were friends for almost 30 years and we both studied in Prague with František Pošta - Teppo in the 1960s and me in the 1980s. He was a guest soloist at every Bass-Fest and Wells Bass Weekend I organized, with a concert devoted to his music that usually included at least a couple of world or UK premieres. Teppo was one of the most popular guests and he brought a certain anarchy and magic to the proceedings with his amazing sense of humour, wonderful empathy and great warmth. I organized a Teppo-Fest, a weekend of concerts and workshops in Somerset, for his 65th, 70th, and 75th birthdays, and the memories we all created will, I am certain, live with everyone who took part or met him.

I spoke to Teppo two or three times each week throughout our friendship and the conversation rarely varied from “Hi Teppo, how are you?” to which he always replied “I am still alive” - hence the title of this piece. Although Teppo is no longer with us, he has left behind a vast treasure trove of compositions for bassists of all ages and abilities, from beginner to virtuoso and from one bass to twelve, and Still Alive is my musical tribute to one of my greatest friends who is sadly missed.” [David Heyes / Somersham, Cambridgeshire 2026]

Still Alive was premiered by Susan Hagen on Wednesday 5 November 2025 at Peabody Institute Library (Peabody, Massachusetts USA). In Memory of Teppo Hauta-aho (1941-2021)

About the Composer

David Heyes studied double bass with Laurence Gray and Bronwen Naish, later at the Royal College of Music in London, and completed his post-graduate studies in Prague with František Pošta (Principal Bass, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra). He has given recitals and masterclasses in 20 countries over the past few years and has been a juror at a number of international competitions, three times as chairman.

David's collaborative work gained him a prestigious award from the David Walter Charitable Trust of New York for his pioneering activities as a soloist, teacher, publisher, and commissioner of new music for double bass and he works with composers throughout the world to expand the double bass repertoire by commissioning new music and by rediscovering forgotten ones. Since 1983 more than 700 works have been written for him, music from one to twenty basses and from beginner to virtuoso, and he has premiered ten contemporary concertos with orchestra.

David began to compose in 2013 and has had music performed and recorded in 36 countries across five continents. He is a D'Addario Performing Artist and has recently commissioned a solo double bass from British master-luthier Martin Penning.