Catalin Rotaru, double bass, joined the School of Music at Arizona State University in 2005. 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 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 honoured with the Recognition award for Solo Performance by the International Society of Bassists.