Lucas Drew

Double Bass

Lucas Drew, after a distinguished career of more than 40 years of teaching and performing is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Principal Double Bass Emeritus of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, he is Founder/Artistic Director Emeritus of the Highlands - Cashiers (NC) Chamber Music Festival after 18 years of service.

As a principal bassist and chamber music collaborator, he has performed with many of the world's great musicians. As a soloist he can be heard in more traditional repertoire on two CD samplers (originally by Coronet Recording Co.), which were designed primarily for students and the recently released CD- 20th Century Sampler for Double Bass. All three CDs are now available through St. Francis Music Publications.

Dr. Drew has premiered a number of 20th century compositions including Carlos Surinach's Double Concerto For Flute, Bass and Chamber Orchestra (Centaur CRC-2256) and Jose Serebrier's - Fantasia and Variations - "George and Muriel" (ASV-CCDDCA-774). He has appeared on the NBC Today Show, BBC TV, NPR, PBS, and with the Contemporary Baroque Trio in concerts in New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and Salzburg. Summer guest faculty/performances include the Brevard Music Center, Dartmouth College, Indiana University, Stetson University, Sarasota Music Festival and workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is among the artists included in Samuel Applebaum's "The Way They Play". Dr. Drew served as editor for the International Society of Bassists (1974-1982) and as President of the American String Teachers Association from 1982-1984. His many published editions of music for solo double bass, chamber music, and string orchestra are played throughout the world. He is co-author of the book "About the Symphony Orchestra - A Handbook for Concertgoers". He studied double bass with Allen Warner, Dmitri Shmuklovsky and Edward Krolick and later, coached with Frederick Zimmermann. He is a graduate of the University of Miami, University of Illinois and Florida State University.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Drew also served at various intervals during his long tenure at the UM Frost School of Music as Founder/Director of the Preparatory Division (which grew to more than 1000 pre-college students), Artistic Director of the Faculty Chamber Players and as a Department Chairperson. In 1996 he received the Frost Award for Outstanding Teaching and Scholarship. Many of his former students are active in the music profession. Dr. Drew is now editor for St. Francis Music Publications (since 2001) and continues to be dedicated to enhancing the literature for double bass. He is also advisor for the International Archive of Double Bass Recordings at the University of Miami Weeks Music Library.