Maggie Carter wins division at international competition

Posted on July 2, 2019

Portland Youth Philharmonic bassist Maggie Carter, age 13, recently won the Age 14 and Under division of the International Society of Bassists competition. Her journey to this achievement has only been four years, and PYP’s free bass class plays a leading role in her story.

Maggie’s mother, Mollie, shared with PYP how she became interested in the double bass, the largest instrument of the string section. “As a very young child, Maggie was intrigued watching a double bassist playing in a trio at a Portland Farmers’ Market. She was indelibly impressed by the size of the instrument. It took a few years for her interest in the bass to percolate, but then she began to ask so doggedly to play it that we finally agreed when she turned 9. Shortly thereafter, we learned of the PYP free double bass class, an unbelievable opportunity to connect her to all of the Oregon Symphony double bassists, who collectively inspired Maggie and ignited in her the desire to become a professional musician like them someday.”

In September 2015, Maggie began private lessons with Nina DeCesare, the newest Oregon Symphony bassist. The bass class showed her what fun it was to play music in a group setting, and the experience proved invaluable when she auditioned for and was accepted to PYP’s Young String Ensemble (YSE) in February 2016. She spent one and a half seasons playing with YSE, including one year as the section principal and as a member of the YSE chamber music quintet. In fall 2017 at age 11, Maggie was accepted as a member of Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra (PYCO) for Season 94, and just last year moved up to the Philharmonic Orchestra for Season 95. She continues to study privately with Nina DeCesare, a student of famed bass pedagogue George Vance, and one of the preeminent female bassists in the country. 

“Nina’s influence on Maggie has been invaluable, inspiring Maggie to follow in Nina’s footsteps, which she did this month by winning the Age 14 and Under division competition at the International Society of Bassists 2019 convention at Indiana University—the very same division which Nina won when she was Maggie’s age!” Mollie continued, “Moreover, the gender barrier in the double bass world continues to be an issue to be reckoned with. Having Nina as a teacher and guide over the past four years has been a special gift, showing Maggie that she can without a doubt succeed on this instrument as a woman.” 

This photo shows Maggie participating in a masterclass during the 2019 convention with Paul Ellison, professor of double bass at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

The PYP organization has provided a lifeline in Maggie’s maturation as a young musician. Her father took her and her siblings to a PYP Preview Concert in Forest Grove soon after she joined YSE, and ever since she has been driven by an overriding ambition to play in the Philharmonic Orchestra. A year into achieving that goal (in a mere 2.5 years), she has found a community and her closest friends; she has been pushed to a more focused and diligent practice schedule; she still eagerly anticipates each and every rehearsal and the opportunity to be conducted and encouraged by Mr. Hattner, often the highlight of her week. All three PYP conductors have provided mentorship and encouragement to Maggie bolstering her confidence and delight as a musician. Her participation in PYP has inspired her younger siblings as well. Brother Simon plays cello in YSE, younger sister Frances is auditioning for YSE on violin later this summer, and baby brother began viola lessons last year. 

Maggie says she has been so inspired by the orchestral experience that all of the PYP ensembles, but especially the Philharmonic Orchestra, have given her. Being a member of and participating in a group of talented musicians and making beautiful music with them has and continues to make her fall in love deeply with classical music. She wants to play it professionally for the joy it brings to her and to others.

Maggie’s parents are entirely supportive of their children’s musical endeavors. “As a family with limited financial resources, we have chosen to spend them on music, believing we are giving our children a lifetime investment in the essential life skills of disciplined work and rigorous attention to excellence along with the joy of collaborative participation in a larger group whose noble goal of bringing more beauty into the world is worth all of the incredible effort.”

The biennial convention of the International Society of Bassists is the premier double bass gathering, drawing nearly a thousand or more bassists from countries all over the world. Their division competitions are highly regarded in the bass world, and after dipping her toes in the competition as an 11-year old in 2017 in New York, Maggie has been working toward this 2019 competition ever since. The competitors must play a required piece and then have the remainder of 15 minutes to perform a diverse program. In addition to the required piece, Maggie played the first two movements of A Carmen Fantasy for double bass by Frank Proto, the Courante from Bach’s First Cello Suite, and Prayer from Jewish Life by Ernest Bloch.

Maggie will return to the PYP bass section in the fall.