Karim Yengsep
Bassist Karim Yengsep came to America in 2000. Originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan, he started studying double bass at Western Oregon University, which he attended on an International student scholarship (2000-2005), with Portland, Oregon, based jazz bassist and composer, Dan Schulte. At Western, Karim also had the pleasure of observing and learning from such jazz educators as Gordon Lee (piano), Tom Bergeron (saxophone), Christopher Woitach (guitar), Keller Coker (trombone) and Mel Brown (drums). After receiving Bachelor of Arts in Music (2005) degree from Western, Karim moved to the Midwest and started preparing to take graduate school auditions.
In 2007, Karim was admitted on a full tuition-waiver scholarship to the University of Illinois School of Music (Urbana-Champaign), where he continued his studies of double bass in the studio of Professor Michael Cameron. After two years of intensive studies Karim graduated with a Master of Music in Double Bass Performance and Literature (2009) degree. His masters recital featured Concerto in F-sharp Minor for Double Bass and Piano, Op. 3 by Serge Koussevitzky and movements from Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009 by J.S. Bach, among other pieces.
In 2009 he auditioned and was admitted on a full-tuition waiver scholarship into a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance degree program in the studio of Professor Larry Gray. This nationally competitive jazz department is chaired and led by saxophonist Chip McNeill and is one of the few that offers a Doctorate degree in jazz performance.
Since arriving on the Champaign-Urbana music scene in 2009, Karim decided to take his education outside the classroom and started to collaborate with his peers, and veterans of the local jazz scene in a variety of settings and venues. During 2009-2010 he formed three collectives that explore the music that he considers to be his foundation.
In addition, Karim, along with a Grammy-winning saxophonist Chip McNeill and Pogo Studio owner, engineer, Mark Rubel, produced a self-titled debut CD by his group BOSSA NUEVO. The album is scheduled to be released by Oregonian label Teal Creek Music (TC-2021) in October, 2010.
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