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Domenico Dragonetti<\/span> (1763-1846)<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n History\u2019s first-known double bass virtuoso, the Venice-born player initially received violin lessons from a local shoemaker before taking up the bass on which he showed considerable talent. In 1794 he moved to London where he met Italian violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti, with whom he would form a duo partnership. Over the course of his career, he played for the Emperor Napoleon at the palace of Prince Staremberg,\u00a0performed with violin virtuoso Nicol\u00f2<\/strong> Paganini<\/strong><\/a> and met Haydn<\/a><\/strong> and Beethoven<\/a><\/strong>. He is also remembered today for the Dragonetti bow, which he developed throughout his life.<\/span><\/p>\n Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889)<\/strong><\/p>\n Known as the \u2018Paganini of the double bass\u2019, Bottesini<\/a><\/strong> achieved international recognition as a touring virtuoso, and was also a conductor and prolific composer. Initially a violin student, the young Bottesini achieved proficiency on the bass in a matter of weeks in order to earn a scholarship to\u00a0the Milan Conservatory in 1835. He left the conservatory in 1839 and toured throughout the United States and Europe. From around 1870 he devoted an increasing amount of time to composition, producing a large number of operas, sacred works, orchestral pieces and works for the double bass.<\/p>\n Pedro Valls<\/span> (1865-1935)<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Virtuoso, composer and founder of the Catalan school of double bass playing, Valls was taught by Jos\u00e9 Rov\u00e9da, himself a <\/span>student of Bottesini, and in <\/span>turn taught Josep Cervera-Bret, who composed more <\/span>than 60 double bass works. Valls\u2019\u00a0experiences of Bottesini\u2019s performances in Barcelona inspired him to emulate the Italian maestro\u2019s bel canto approach, though his works showcased native Spanish elements.<\/span><\/p>\n Serge Koussevitzky\u00a0<\/span>(1874-1951)<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrated as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1924-49), the Russian-born conductor started his career as a double bass virtuoso, performing across Europe and composing a concerto for his instrument, which he premiered in Moscow in 1905. Born into a family of musicians, he received a scholarship to the Musico-Dramatic Institute of the Moscow Philharmonic Society at the age of 14, where he studied the<\/span>\u00a0bass. He joined\u00a0the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra at the age of 20 in 1894, and succeeded his teacher, Rambusek, as the principal bassist in 1901.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Rodion Azarkhin<\/span> (1931-2007)<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Renowned for his visceral performances and transcriptions, the Russian virtuoso\u2019s technical prowess and innovation helped to expand the double bass\u2019s scope. A graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory in 1954, he continued his studies as a postgraduate student at the Moscow Conservatory under cellist Sviatoslav Knushevitsky. His\u00a0repertoire of more than 200 works featured his own arrangements of instrumental pieces by composers including Bach, Dvo\u0159\u00e1k, Saint-Sa\u00ebns, Tchaikovsky and Paganini, as well as original compositions for double bass.<\/span><\/p>\n Fran\u00e7ois Rabbath (b.1931)<\/strong><\/p>\n The French-Syrian musician\u00a0discovered the double bass at the age of 13 when one of his brothers brought an instrument home and allowed him to experiment with it. After studies at the Paris Conservatoire, he made his first solo album in 1963. Known for his refusal to accept traditional limitations \u2013 whether in terms of genre or instrumental technique \u2013 Rabbath is revered for\u00a0his individual style and virtuosity. A partnership with the double bassist-composer Frank Proto led to several specially-written compositions for Rabbath, including the Concerto No. 2 and Fantasy for double bass and orchestra. His three-volume Nouvelle technique de la contrebasse<\/em> outlines his\u00a0techniques for students.<\/p>\n