Jeremy Kurtz-Harris

Bassist Jeremy Kurtz-Harris has a diverse musical background that includes solo, chamber and orchestral performance. He has been the Principal Bassist of the San Diego Symphony since 2004 and has also played Guest Principal Bass with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. During the 2015-16 season, Kurtz-Harris performed as an acting member of the San Francisco Symphony, performing as Principal for most of the season. He has also played Associate Principal Bass in the summers with the Sun Valley Music Festival since 2010.

Kurtz-Harris is an avid proponent of the double bass as a solo instrument. He regularly performs solo recitals, has been featured as a soloist with numerous ensembles, and recorded an album "Sonatas and Meditations" which featured his long-time collaborator, pianist Ines Irawati. He actively encourages composers to write both solo and chamber music for bass and has commissioned and premiered multiple works for the instrument. As a chamber musician, he has performed at La Jolla Summerfest, Carnegie’s Weill Hall, and on San Diego’s “Art of Elan” chamber series.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University, Kurtz-Harris is a dedicated pedagogue. He has been the classical bass teacher at San Diego State University since 2006, and has taught master classes in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia. He has also served as a board member for the International Society of Bassists, which fosters interaction among bassists from many countries, backgrounds, and musical genres, and also opportunities for young bassists.

In addition to his double bass performing and teaching pursuits, Kurtz-Harris also enjoys experimenting with sound design, audio recording, composing, arranging and playing drums.

He lives with his wife and two children in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego.