Brett Shurtliffe returns to his alma mater to take up the role for the 2026/27 academic year
Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester has announced the appointment of Brett Shurtliffe as visiting instructor of double bass for the 2026/27 academic year.
Shurtliffe received his training at Eastman as well as Duquesne University. He was a prizewinner at the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Solo Competition in 2003 and took first prize at the ISB Orchestral Competition in 2005.
Shurtliffe currently serves as associate principal double bass with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he has appeared numerous times as a soloist and recorded a world premiere concerto.
He has previously served as visiting faculty at the Eastman School of Music and on faculty at SUNY Fredonia, and now spends his summers as a faculty member at the International Festival Institute in Round Top, TX.
The appointment comes as Eastman’s current professor of double bass, James VanDemark, retires after a tenure that began in 1976. Eastman will host additional guest artists in double bass in the 2026/27 academic year, with a search for a permanent professor of double bass to take place in autumn 2027.
’As a proud alumnus of the Eastman School of Music, I couldn’t be more excited to be back as a visiting instructor,’ said Shurtliffe.
’Eastman was the defining force in my young musical journey, and to now be a part of creating that magic for students is very exciting. I can’t wait to work with all the talented bassists in the Eastman Bass Studio!’
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