Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]  

CANYON, Texas —Dr. Nick Scales, West Texas A&M University’s professor of double bass, was inspired by a particular historic instrument to pursue music. Now, he’s using that very bass to teach and perform, thanks to an innovative, global partnership. 

Scales is performing on a double bass formerly owned by the great conductor Serge Koussevitzky, which was passed on to the famous bassist Gary Karr following his death. The Karr-Koussevitzky double bass is now owned by the International Society of Bassists, which began loaning it when Karr retired from active performing in 2005. 

Scales received it from Aaron Olguin, the principal bassist in Tondheim, Norway, and will pass it along in mid-March to Alexander Hanna, the principal bassist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Scales’ personal connection to the instrument dates to the early 1980s, when he was taking a lesson from late Amarillo bassist Inez Wyrick. 

“She played a recording of Gary Karr playing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ‘Vocalise’ on this instrument, and I knew I would want to play bass for the rest of my life,” Scales said. “And the first time I ever saw the bass was when Gary came to WT when I was studying here. I played for him in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall with the Amarillo Symphony, and I remember thinking how cool it was to be near that instrument. 

“I’ve grown up with this instrument, basically.” 

The instrument has a fascinating backstory. For years, it was believed to have been made in 1611 by the Amati brothers, siblings who were renowned for their artistry and for being the teachers of the famed Antonio Stradavari. Recent studies suggest, instead, that the instrument was made around 1800 in France, though its importance to bassists has never wavered. 

“My students have been able to play Koussevitzky’s music on his very own bass. They also get to hear a classic instrument tone that we have all heard on the many recordings that Gary Karr made with it,” Scales said. “From the moment it was in my house, I played just a few notes and both my wife Lori, who’s also a bassist, and I said, ‘That is THE Sound! 

“I am so grateful to the ISB for this loan,” Scales continued. “I hope to have it back here again at some point.” 

Scales gave a faculty recital Feb. 6 and next will perform for Chamber Music Amarillo. 

Mark Bartley, Lilith Brainard Professor of Music, director of orchestral activities and associate director of WT’s School of Music, will lead the Amarillo Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra in the concert at 7:30 p.m. March 5 in Northen Recital Hall. Scales, who also serves as the principal bassist for the Amarillo Symphony, will be featured on Giovanni Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2. 

“This piece is one of the composer’s most-performed solo works for the bass, and it uses the full range of the bass to showcase Nick’s virtuosity,” said David Palmer, CMA artistic director. 

Scales said he’s grateful for the chance to perform on the bass for a wider audience. 

“As bassists, we do not get all that many chances to be in the spotlight, but I am thankful for the support over the years that I have received from CMA performing a variety of great literature since I moved here for the position at WT,” Scales said. 

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key goal of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. 

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.  

About West Texas A&M University 

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.