Jim Ryan Quartet

Robert Kassinger was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1993. Prior to Chicago, Rob performed as assistant principal bass with the Colorado Symphony and also played with the New Orleans Symphony. In addition to his busy schedule with the Orchestra, he is an active chamber musician. Rob performs with the Revolution Ensemble, the Orion Ensemble, Ars Viva, The Art Institute of Chicago chamber series, the Symphony Center chamber series, MusicNOW, the Chicago Humanities Festival, and in broadcasts on WFMT and WTTW. Rob grew up in a family of musicians in Boulder, Colorado. He began his bass studies with Frank Carroll at the University of Colorado. In 1985 he moved to New York to study with Homer Mensch at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree.

Rob then pursued his Masters degree at the Juilliard School, continuing his studies with Mr. Mensch. He later went on to study with Bruce Bransby at Indiana University. Some of Mr. Kassingers most influential experiences as a student were his two years as principal bass of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, conducted by Alexander Schneider, and the two summers he spent as a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival, studying with Stuart Sankey and Bruce Bransby.

In 1989 Rob was the winner of the Aspen Double Bass Competition. Rob’s experience as a jazz performer dates back to his early teens, and through the years he has performed with the Woody Herman band, Conte Candoli, Charlie Rouse, Charles Brown, Art Lande, Richard Stoltzman, Gary Burton, Alex Acuna, Laurence Hobgood, and Bobby Lewis. In 1998 and 2000, Rob toured India with the Chicago Jazz Express, and he can be heard on their recordings Voyage to India and The Rhythm Section.

He also appears on Bobby Lewis’ latest CD, Just havin’ some fun.  In  addition, Rob is featured on Daniel Barenboim’s Brazilian Rhapsody on the Teldec label, and Kabbalah Blues/Quantum Funk by the Revolution Ensemble.

Rob is professor of double bass at DePaul University. He is also in demand as a coach and master clinician, serving in this capacity for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Juilliard School, and the Mannes School of Music. In the summers of 1999 through 2002, it was Rob’s honor to teach at the West-Eastern Divan Workshop, a ground-breaking workshop that brings young musicians from Israel and various Arab countries together to study orchestral music with Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma, and members of the CSO, Berlin Philharmonic, and the Staatskapelle Berlin. Robs latest project has given him a chance to rekindle his relationship with the bass guitar. His alternative rock group NYCO, and his cover band Hoochie Suit, can be heard in many of Chicago’s hottest clubs.  http://kabbalahblues.com/treinfo.html#rob