UNCSA Double Bass Day
UNCSA Double Bass Day
Paul Sharpe and the UNCSA Double Bass Studio are hosting UNCSA Double Bass Day 2026 on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Philadelphia Orchestra double bass section member, Christian Gray. Winner of 2nd Prize and Audience Favorite awards at the Sphinx Competition in 2021, Christian grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and is a graduate of UNCSA’s high school program. An active recitalist, Christian was a featured artist at UNT’s Bradetich Masterclasses this past summer, and guest recitalist at Peabody’s Double Bass Day this fall. Following his recital, he will present a solo masterclass at Bass Day. Additionally, Matt Rybicki, the jazz bass professor at UNCSA will be joining us for a jazz session in the morning, while Paul Sharpe covers classical technique in a clinic, a masterclass, and will direct the annual Bass Orchestra.
Bass Day is geared to all levels of bassists, from middle school to professional. Explore what vendor Bass Violin Shop of Greensboro NC has on offer!
Don't miss this exceptional celebration of the artistry of double bass with Christian Gray, Matt Rybicki, and Paul Sharpe, promising a day filled with passion, inspiration, and exceptional music.
Registration
The registration fee for this event is $35.
Included with the registration fee:
- Participation in Double Bass Day
- T-shirt
- Lunch voucher
- Two complimentary tickets to recital with Christian Gray at 3:30 p.m. (Value: $40)
If you have any questions about the registration, please email Paul Sharpe at sharpep@uncsa.edu.
UNCSA Double Bass Day Schedule
| Time | Event/Location |
|---|---|
| 9:15-9:30 a.m. | Check In Watson Hall Lobby |
| 9:30–11 a.m. | Warm Up with Bass Orchestra! with Paul Sharpe SMC 167 |
| 11 a.m.-Noon | Jazz Session with Prof. Rybicki SMC 168 |
| Noon-1 p.m. | Lunch Dining Hall, Hanes Student Commons |
| 1-2:30 p.m. | Solo Masterclass and Q&A with Paul Sharpe Watson Hall |
| 2:30-3:30 p.m. |
Visit our vendor, snack, informal chats |
| 3:30-5 p.m. | Recital with Christian Gray Watson Hall |
| 5-6:30 p.m. | Masterclass with Christian Gray Watson Hall |
Guest Artists
Christian Gray
Christian Gray joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2022. A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he was a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra from 2017 to 2022. Prior to his appointment in Philadelphia, he performed frequently with the National Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Houston Symphony, and the San Antonio Symphony, among others. He has been a recipient of several fellowships, including two summers at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the Music Academy of the West; and as the first-ever double bass fellow at the Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs, Virginia.
As a soloist, Mr. Gray won 2nd Prize and “Audience Favorite” at the 2021 Sphinx Competition. As an educator, he has held residencies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, as well as classes with the International Society of Bassists and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. He studied at Rice University, Boston University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His mentors include Edwin Barker, Paul Ellison, and Paul Sharpe.
Matt Rybicki
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Matthew Rybicki has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Ernie Watts, Laurence Hobgood, Hilary Kole, Wycliffe Gordon, Ted Rosenthal, Mark Gould, Nnenna Freelon, Renee Fleming, Terell Stafford, Winard Harper, Mark Whitfield, Victor Goines, Charenee Wade, Oscar Perez, Lew Tabackin, Christian Sands, Dan Nimmer, David Berger, and Marcus Printup.
He has also had the great fortune of performing at many well-respected venues in New York such as The Village Vanguard and The Blue Note, as well as concert halls and festivals in locations ranging from Italy to Qatar.
Matthew is a faculty member at The Juilliard School and a visiting artist at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He was an artist/instructor for Jazz at Lincoln Center where he developed and taught the inaugural bass course in the Essentially Ellington Band Director Academy. In addition, Matthew was a program coordinator for Midori and Friends and has led musical workshops at both The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Guggenheim, where he designed and presented educational performances that incorporate jazz with fine art.
Matthew has presented educational clinics in a wide variety of settings worldwide. Highlights include master-classes and clinics at the International Society of Bassists Annual Convention (Rochester, NY), Qatar Music Academy (Doha, Qatar), The Vitoria Jazz Festival (Vitoria, Spain), Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA), Snow College (Ephraim, UT), Centro Nacional de las Artes (Mexico City, Mexico), Spoleto Music Festival (Spoleto, Italy), and The National Jazz Museum in Harlem (New York, NY).
He has also authored books for Hal Leonard Publications including The Hal Leonard Jazz Bass Method, Ray Brown: Legendary Jazz Bassist, and the Goldmine Series for Bass.
Driven, Matthew’s debut recording released in 2009, introduced him to the jazz scene as a performer and composer of note. Recording with jazz greats Ron Blake, Freddie Hendrix, Gerald Clayton, and Ulysses Owens, Jr., he was able to capture innovative and sophisticated performances of newly created original works that maintain close ties to the history of jazz.
Matthew received his Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1995 and graduate degree from The Juilliard School in 2004.