About Sandor Ostlund

Sandor Ostlund is the Professor of Double Bass at Baylor University and the current President-Elect for the International Society of Bassists. He is an active and versatile performer and pedagogue with an eclectic musical background that includes solo, chamber, orchestral, early music, studio, jazz, and new music performances.

As a soloist, Dr. Ostlund has performed in recitals throughout the United States. He has appeared in featured performances at International Society of Bassists Conventions, as concert soloist with orchestras, in live radio broadcasts, and has premiered many works for solo double bass. He has released a solo CD of music written for him called Leap of Faith.

Ensembles that Dr. Ostlund has played with include the Detroit Symphony, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Washington Bach Consort, the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra, the Dallas Bach Society, Philharmonie Austin, the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Context, the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Ballet, the San Antonio Symphony, the National Philharmonic, Le Sinfonietta de Paris, the Madison Symphony, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and the Virginia Symphony. Currently, he is the Principal Double Bassist with the ROCO Chamber Orchestra.

He has been invited to teach and perform at clinics and universities including the Texas Music Festival, National Music Festival, Penn State University, Northwestern University, SUNY-Stony Brook, James Madison University, Golden Gate Bass Camp, Colorado Suzuki Institute, American Festival for the Arts, Shenandoah Conservatory Performing Arts Festival, the Texas Double Bass Symposium, the TCU International Bass Festival, the Midwest Double Bass Symposium, and the annual Richard Davis Double Bass Conference.

Dr. Ostlund received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying with bass legend Richard Davis. He received his Master’s degree and his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Rice University, where he is the first and only double bassist to receive a DMA from esteemed performer and pedagogue Paul Ellison. He has also studied in Paris with renowned virtuoso François Rabbath, where he earned both the performing and teaching diplomas from L’Institut International François Rabbath. Before arriving at Baylor University, Dr. Ostlund held faculty appointments at West Texas A&M University and Shenandoah Conservatory.