2023-24 Baylor Bass Studio

 

David Folks

David Folks is a fifth year studying Instrumental Music-Education and Greek.

At a young age, he participated in youth orchestras across the country such as Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO). Before coming to Baylor, he studied with Virginia Symphony principle Scott Harris, Yale graduate Scott Scheffler, and Daniel Nix— a premier teacher and member of the Bassinova Quartet and Bravura Duo. David currently studies under the renowned Dr. Sandor Ostlund. Recently David had the privilege to take a lesson and visit with the legendary François Rabbath.

David’s goal is to utilize his degree in Music Education and Greek to teach in a classical education environment, meanwhile pursuing musical opportunities through private teaching and community orchestras. David plans to pursue further education in the subjects of theology and literature.

 

Isaiah Alexander Herrera

Isaiah Herrera is a double bassist born and raised in El Paso, Texas. During his early years, Isaiah placed in the Texas All-State Orchestras, Texas All-Region Orchestras, All-Region Jazz Bands, Honor Orchestra, and became the Guitarron player for the newly formed All-Region Mariachi in El Paso during the 2020-21 school year. Isaiah was also an active performer with the El Paso Youth Symphony Orchestra, served as principal for the Gilbert and Sullivan Company of El Paso, and was an ambassador for the El Paso Society for Musicians of the Future.

Isaiah is studying double bass under the guidance of Dr. Sandor Ostlund, at Baylor University. Isaiah is an active performer in the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, the Baylor Jazz Ensemble, and has performed with the Baylor Campus Orchestra. Isaiah also became the founder and director of the first mariachi ensemble at Baylor University, Mariachi Osos Dorados. Additionally, Isaiah serves as the Music Chair for Music and Memory at Baylor University, an organization that creates personalized music experiences for memory care patients. Similarly, Isaiah is a music coordinator for the Dementia Care & Music Intervention lab, DCMI, a non-profit research lab that is affiliated with Baylor University. Isaiah also enjoys performing with the Baylor University Golden Wave Band and has played in various chamber music settings.

Isaiah is passionate in sharing his knowledge with his fellow music performers and with young, developing musicians. Isaiah has been a guest performer and teacher with the Early Music Education Academy in El Paso, where he taught lessons on the classical and electric guitar, double bass, and arranged chamber music for students of the academy. Isaiah also regularly teaches lessons on the guitarron and vihuela as part of developing the mariachi ensemble at Baylor University.

Isaiah continues to be an active performer in his community and throughout Texas. He was a fellow of The Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival for the 2023 season and served as assistant principal for the Lux Solaris Philharmonia.

 

Sariah Keller

Sariah is a second-year master's student at Baylor University, studying music performance. In 2022 she earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Brigham Young University, studying with Eric Hansen. 

During her first year at Baylor, Sariah substituted as a section player for the 2022-2023 Waco Symphony season. In June of 2023, she performed in the lab orchestra for The Conducting Institute directed by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. In addition to studying under Dr. Sandor Ostlund, Sariah has also participated in lessons and masterclasses with Robin Kesselman and Eric Larson of the Houston Symphony.

Sariah has loved playing bass in orchestras from the time she picked up the instrument at age 10. She traveled with the BYU Chamber orchestra on a European tour, playing major works in venues throughout Austria, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Sariah also participated in the International Chamber Music Academy of Ochsenhausen, Germany this past summer studying with Paul Sharpe. She has thoroughly enjoyed experiencing and performing in such musically historic places and hopes to continue taking opportunities to do so in the future.       

As she continues to pursue her master’s degree at Baylor, Sariah is excited to build a foundation for a professional career in orchestral performance and bass pedagogy!

 

Monet Markle

Monet Markle is a double bassist from Arlington, TX who is going into her senior year at Baylor University studying Music Performance. She has been playing the bass for roughly 10 years, primarily in the classical setting. She has had much success in the classical vein being a fellow of Texas Music Festival (TMF), acceptance to the PRISMA Music Festival in Canada, and being a semi-finalist for the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Audition (SOPA) competition. Outside of classical music, Monet also has experience in jazz. Starting her sophomore year at Baylor, she was able to join the Concert Jazz ensemble and after just one year in the jazz program, Monet was given the opportunity to participate in an international jazz tour across Scotland as well as gig with several combos including the first ever all-female jazz combo at Baylor University: Baylor Jazz Women. Monet’s plans after undergrad are to pursue a graduate degree and gain more training to better position herself for a job in a professional orchestra as well as continue to develop her jazz chops by participating in other jazz ensembles and combos.

 

Rauno Meneses-Halmari

Rauno Meneses-Halmari attended Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, and studied bass with George Fahlund since he was 12 years old. He was a member of the 2021 and 2022 TMEA All-State Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras. He was a fellow at the Music Academy of the West in 2023, and was also accepted that year to the Aspen, Texas, and Pacific Music Festivals. Rauno is currently a sophomore at Baylor University, studying with Dr. Sandor Ostlund, and has performed as both Principal and Assistant Principal bass of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra in his time there.

 

Sasha Nepomnyashy

Sasha Nepomnyashy is a current BME student at the Baylor School of Music. Her musical career began in north Texas, where she participated in All-Region and All-State events throughout high school. She is now an active teacher and clinician for both the Waco and Temple/Belton areas. Her studio philosophy is based on personalized growth for each student and a priority of injury prevention and healthy playing. She also teaches at the Academie Musique school in Temple, Texas. 

Sasha plays on a 5/8th-sized instrument made by Joey Naeger in Houston, Texas. The switch to this high-quality fractional instrument sparked an interest in advocacy for inclusivity in the bass world. Her future plans include teaching, facilitating events for students, and involvement with professional organizations such as TMEA, TODA, and ISB.

 

Auburn Grace Pearson

Born and raised in San Antonio, Auburn Grace Pearson just recently moved to Waco to be part of the double bass studio at Baylor University. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of 2023, from Claudia Taylor Johnson High School. During high school, she was a four-year bass player in her school’s Varsity String and Varsity Full Orchestra program. She is a two-time Texas All-State Musician, has qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble competition three times, and from 2020-2023 played with the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio’s Philharmonic ensemble. She is currently playing in the Campus Orchestra at Baylor University and working with Dr. Sandor Ostlund.

 

Davis Pierson

Davis is currently in his final year as a Double Bass Performance Major at Baylor University studying under Dr. Sandor Ostlund. In high school, Davis participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute where he worked closely with Todd Seeber of the Boston Symphony. In 2021 He was given an honorary mention in the 2021 ISB Double Bass Orchestral Division Competition and in 2023 received first prize, as first-prize winner He will perform a week with the Dallas Symphony. He frequently performs as substitute bass with the Houston, Fort Worth, and Waco Symphonies, and is currently a substitute for the Houston Grand Opera. He has spent the past two summers in Verbier, Switzerland as an invited fellow of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and performed under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda, Klaus Mäkelä, Charles Dutoit, Daniele Gatti, Lahav Shani, and Christoph Eschenbach.

 

Finnegan Powers

Finnegan is a Junior Double Bass Performance major. Before coming to Baylor, he went to Heritage High School in Frisco, TX, and took private lessons with Sean Casey. In his sophomore year at Baylor, he participated in the ISB Orchestral Competition, and was awarded the first honorable mention. During this past summer, he spent 8 weeks playing in the National Repertory Orchestra under the baton of music director Michael Stern. Through this immersive experience, his passion for orchestral playing grew exponentially, and looks forward to all future orchestral experiences. In addition to orchestral playing, Finnegan has an ever-growing passion for the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and, in his free time, explores these works, looking for ways to arrange them in a manner that highlights the bass.

 

Jase Smith

Jase Smith is a first-year Double Bass Performance Major at Baylor University studying under Dr. Sandor Ostlund. Studying with Sean Casey during his time in high school, he was a member of the TMEA Symphony orchestra, placing 11th, 4th, and 1st, respectively. He also participated in the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra for four years. As a freshman at Baylor, he will perform with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra. Along with the Baylor Symphony, he will be performing with the Waco Symphony Orchestra with an internship position. Outside of orchestral playing, Jase has a great interest in baroque music, specifically baroque opera, and is working to perfect the art of playing in a baroque style.