Scott Pingel

Scott Pingel, Principal Bass San Francisco Symphony

Scott Pingel began playing the double-bass at age 17 because of a strong interest in jazz, Latin, and classical music. In 2004, at age 29, he became the principal bass of the San Francisco Symphony. Previously, he served as principal bass of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, performed with the Metropolitan Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, and served as guest principal with the National Arts Center Orchestra in Canada. Festival performances include Bellingham, Spoleto, Verbier, Tanglewood, Attergau/Salzburg, and in collaboration with David Finckel and Joseph Silverstein at Music at Menlo. Mr. Pingel is also an active educator having taught masterclasses at prestigious schools such as Julliard, Manhattan School of Music, University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University and the Shanghai Conservatory, and is presently a faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

In addition to classical music, Mr. Pingel has worked with jazz greats such as Michael Brecker, Geoff Keezer and James Williams, performed with pop-icon Madonna, and played in an opening act for Tito Puente.

His formal education began with James Clute at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and after receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in 1996, continued under the private tutelage of Peter Lloyd. In 1997 he moved to New York to study with Timothy Cobb on a fellowship at the Manhattan School of Music and received a Master's Degree in Orchestral Performance in 1999 and a professional studies certificate in 2000. He then spent two years on a fellowship with the New World Symphony.

Outside of music, Mr. Pingel spent many years studying the ancient Korean martial art of Hwa Rang Do, in which he holds a black-belt. He was an instructor at the Madison Academy of Hwa Rang Do and founded the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Hwa Rang Do/Tae Soo Do program, which continues to this day.

Sources

http://www.sfsymphony.org/music/MeetTheMusicians/MembersOfOrchestra.aspx