Jeffrey Turner enjoys a multi-faceted career as an educator, orchestral musician, chamber musician, soloist, and conductor.
A native of South Carolina, he completed his bachelor’s degree with James VanDemark at the Eastman School of Music; other teachers included Lawrence Hurst and Robert Gladstone. A dedicated teacher, Turner currently serves as Professor of Double Bass at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He also holds the position of Distinguished Artist at the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. In 2005, Turner received the Distinguished Service Award of the Pennsylvania/Delaware String Teachers Association and the Pennsylvania School Orchestra Association. Turner served on the faculties of Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University for nearly three decades. Turner was as an adjunct professor at Duquesne University (1988–2017), where he served as Director of Orchestral Activities (2011-2016), String Department Chair (1995–1999) and Artistic Director of the City Music Center's Young Bassist Program. He also held the position of Artist Lecturer in Double Bass at Carnegie Mellon University from 1989–2011. |
Turner also served as a visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland and as resident artist for many annual educational festivals, including the Pacific Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute, the National Youth Orchestra (USA), the Korsholm Festival (Finland), and the Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong). He offers annual master classes at many of the nation’s top music schools, and has appeared at the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute, Manhattan School, New World Symphony, Cleveland Institute, and the University of Michigan.
Turner currently holds the Principal Bass position with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. As principal bassist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Turner served thirty-one seasons under music directors Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, and Manfred Honeck. He was the principal bassist of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984–1986 and played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the 1986–87 season. He has performed with many distinguished American orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he appeared as a jazz bassist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops with conductors Henry Mancini, John Williams, and Marvin Hamlish.
Turner has performed as a chamber musician at many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, the Korsholm Festival (Finland), and the St. Bartholemy Music Festival (FWI). He has appeared as a guest with the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and the Lafayette Quartet, among many others. From 1988–92, Turner was the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Project, which presented an annual series of concerts and educational programs featuring Pittsburgh's finest musicians in collaboration.
As winner of the Y Music Society's Passamaneck Award, he appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989. He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society's Artist Award. He regularly appears in recital at venues throughout North America, Asia, and Europe.
Turner has appeared often as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, including in world premieres of Thomas Newman’s double bass concerto Ward’s Ferry and Leonardo Balada’s Caprichos No. 4, Mozart’s ‘Per questa bella mano’ with Thomas Quasthof and Mariss Jansons, as well as many of Giovanni Bottesini’s most popular works.
A keen advocate for new music, Turner has commissioned and premiered many works for bass, including Jeremy Sment’s Discourse for Double Bass and Piano, Troy Centafanto’s Packsaddle Bridge for Double Bass and Piano, and Bruce Roter’s Sonata for Double Bass and Piano.
In 2009, Turner completed his master’s in conducting with Dr. Robert Page at Carnegie Mellon University. Turner served as Director of Orchestral Studies at Duquesne University from 2011–2016, where he was conductor of the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. He has also been Artistic Director of the City Music Center Chamber Orchestra (2004–2008) and Music Director of the Pittsburgh Live Chamber Orchestra (2004–2006). He was Music Director and Conductor of the Pittsburgh Music Academy Orchestra from 1997–2000. He served as Artist Lecturer in Conducting and conducted opera productions at Carnegie Mellon University. Turner has conducted his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra colleagues in benefit concerts and often serves as a guest clinician conducting high-school orchestras and All-State and Honors Orchestra festivals nationwide.
Turner plays basses made by Bernhard Simon Fendt in London (1828) and Joseph Alexis Tournier in Paris (c. 1865) and bows made by Charles Bazin and Susan Lipkins. His recordings of the works of Leonardo Balada are available on Naxos, and he also appears on numerous recordings with the Pittsburgh Symphony, included its Grammy-winning recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Barber’s Adagio on Reference Recordings.
Turner currently holds the Principal Bass position with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. As principal bassist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Turner served thirty-one seasons under music directors Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, and Manfred Honeck. He was the principal bassist of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984–1986 and played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the 1986–87 season. He has performed with many distinguished American orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he appeared as a jazz bassist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops with conductors Henry Mancini, John Williams, and Marvin Hamlish.
Turner has performed as a chamber musician at many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, the Korsholm Festival (Finland), and the St. Bartholemy Music Festival (FWI). He has appeared as a guest with the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and the Lafayette Quartet, among many others. From 1988–92, Turner was the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Project, which presented an annual series of concerts and educational programs featuring Pittsburgh's finest musicians in collaboration.
As winner of the Y Music Society's Passamaneck Award, he appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989. He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society's Artist Award. He regularly appears in recital at venues throughout North America, Asia, and Europe.
Turner has appeared often as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, including in world premieres of Thomas Newman’s double bass concerto Ward’s Ferry and Leonardo Balada’s Caprichos No. 4, Mozart’s ‘Per questa bella mano’ with Thomas Quasthof and Mariss Jansons, as well as many of Giovanni Bottesini’s most popular works.
A keen advocate for new music, Turner has commissioned and premiered many works for bass, including Jeremy Sment’s Discourse for Double Bass and Piano, Troy Centafanto’s Packsaddle Bridge for Double Bass and Piano, and Bruce Roter’s Sonata for Double Bass and Piano.
In 2009, Turner completed his master’s in conducting with Dr. Robert Page at Carnegie Mellon University. Turner served as Director of Orchestral Studies at Duquesne University from 2011–2016, where he was conductor of the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. He has also been Artistic Director of the City Music Center Chamber Orchestra (2004–2008) and Music Director of the Pittsburgh Live Chamber Orchestra (2004–2006). He was Music Director and Conductor of the Pittsburgh Music Academy Orchestra from 1997–2000. He served as Artist Lecturer in Conducting and conducted opera productions at Carnegie Mellon University. Turner has conducted his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra colleagues in benefit concerts and often serves as a guest clinician conducting high-school orchestras and All-State and Honors Orchestra festivals nationwide.
Turner plays basses made by Bernhard Simon Fendt in London (1828) and Joseph Alexis Tournier in Paris (c. 1865) and bows made by Charles Bazin and Susan Lipkins. His recordings of the works of Leonardo Balada are available on Naxos, and he also appears on numerous recordings with the Pittsburgh Symphony, included its Grammy-winning recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Barber’s Adagio on Reference Recordings.
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|