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François Rabbath at 95: a legacy of freedom

2026-06-19T09:17:00

Francois Rabbath playing

To mark the 95th birthday of the great double bassist François Rabbath, Naomi Yandell hears from some of his former students about what they have learnt from the distinguished musician, and how they continue to be influenced by his approach

François Rabbath, who recently turned 95, occupies a unique place in the string playing and teaching world. Born in Syria on 12 March 1931, he later settled in Paris and became celebrated not just as a versatile double bassist but also as one of the most influential instrumental teachers of the late 20th century. Largely self-taught using the double bass method by Edouard Nanny, Rabbath developed an approach to the instrument that expanded the understanding of its technical and expressive possibilities and challenged established teaching methods, most famously in his five-volume Nouvelle technique de la contrebasse (published between 1977 and 2015)…

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