Catalin Rotaru

Biography

Catalin Rotaru, double bass, joined the School of Music at Arizona State University in 2005. Catalin is in demand as a performer and clinician throughout the world. He is a graduate of the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania, and holds a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Previously he was associate professor of double bass and jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and he has taught at Millikin University and the University of Illinois in Urbana–Champaign. He served as associate principal bass in the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, principal bass in the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra and Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra of Bucharest, associate principal and principal bass in the Sinfonia Da Camera, and principal bass of the Orchestra Sinfonica Europea. He received the second prize at the 1997 International Society of Bassists solo division competition and the jury's special award for the best performance of the required piece at the same competition. He was the winner of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Debut Recital Award in 1997, the Central Illinois Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters Award in 1996, and in 2013 was honored with the Recognition award for Solo Performance by the International Society of Bassists. Catalin’s debut solo album, Bass*ic Cello Notes, was released by Summit Records in March 2007 and in 2010 he released his second CD, Juliana D’Agostini + Catalin Rotaru, which was recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2012 Catalin recorded his third album, in collaboration with the National Symphony Orchestra of Paraguay, which includes the world premiere of a double bass performance of the famous Violin Concerto no. 5 by W.A. Mozart. In 2014 he released a special CD/DVD package with works by Frank Proto, which includes the world premiere recording of Proto’s Sonata no. 2 dedicated to him. In 2017 Catalin had the great honor of recording an historical album entitled The Lord of the Basses – Bottesini’s Testore, recorded on Bottesini’s double bass made by Testore in 1716. In the same year Catalin released another album entitled Sonic Bridges vol. II, recorded with the National Symphony Orchestra of Paraguay. This album includes a few world premiere works dedicated to him as well as the first rendition of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante where the solo viola part is played on double bass. More recently, in 2018, he released his 7th album, recorded in Italy and featuring two prominent sonatas from the violin and cello repertoire. Catalin has been a frequent solo performer as recitalist or guest soloist with numerous symphony orchestras, and has given masterclasses at many prestigious institutions and festivals in the United States, Asia, Europe, and South America. Catalin performs on a modern instrument made in Italy by Luciano Golia, and a bow made by Marco Pasquino. He is a Pirastro Strings artist.