Joseph Conyers

Joseph Conyers
Conyers in 2014
Conyers in 2014
Background information
Born
Joseph Hawkins Conyers

1981 (age 44–45)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
InstrumentDouble bass
Member ofPhiladelphia Orchestra
Websitejosephconyers.com

Joseph Hawkins Conyers[1] (born 1981) is an American double bassist and music instructor. Since 2023, he has been the principal double bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra; He is also the co-founder of Project 440, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching Philadelphia high school musicians entrepreneurship and life skills.[2]

Early life and career

Conyers was born in Savannah, Georgia. He began learning his first instrument, the piano, at age 5.[3][4] He began learning the double at age 11 after being gifted one by his teacher, Lynne Tobin.[5] He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2004.[6]

Prior to his appointment with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Conyers was a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony - as Principal Bassist until 2009 - the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,[7] and the Santa Fe Opera.[8] He uses an 1802 Italian Double Bass called Norma, which he first acquired while a part of the Grand Rapids Symphony in 2005 and purchased in 2007.[9]

In 2010, Conyers was appointed as the assistant principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra,[10] a position he held for approximately 14 years. In 2023, his promotion to principal bass in the orchestra made him the first Black principal instrumentalist in the orchestra's history.[11][12][13] In addition to performing, he has taught at schools such as the Juilliard School,[14] Temple University, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.[15][16]

Conyers has received the awards: The Curtis Institute Young Alumni (2015),[10] Award the C. Hartman Kuhn Award (2018), The Sphinx Organization's Medal of Excellence (2019),[17][18] and the Theodore L. Kesselman Award (2019).[19] In 2018, he was listed in Musical America's 30 Top Professionals – Innovators, Independent Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Joseph Conyers receives Distinguished Alumnus Award". Savannah Morning News. April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  2. ↑ Pompilio, Natalie (June 2, 2022). "Project 440 Turns High School Musicians into Community Leaders". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  3. ↑ Niles, Laurie. "ASTA 2025: Yumi Kendall and Joseph Conyers - Changing the World Through Music". Violinist.com. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  4. ↑ gwmiller3 (January 20, 2016). "Joseph Conyers & The Curtis Institute of Music: Connecting Education and the Performing Arts". JUMP: The Philly Music Project. Retrieved April 18, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "'Only pursue music because you love it, not to please someone else' - Joseph Conyers' life lessons". The Strad. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Curtis Institute has been Philly's musical bedrock for 100 years". WHYY. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  7. ↑ Critic, Peter Dobrin (October 3, 2010). "Plum for a musician - and for the orchestra". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  8. ↑ CHANNEL, THE VIOLIN (May 15, 2023). "New Principal Bassist for The Philadelphia Orchestra". World's Leading Classical Music Platform. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Joseph Conyers's instrument: a bass called Norma". The Strad. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony. "Joseph H. Conyers | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra". www.aso.org. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Joseph Conyers helps Philadelphia Orchestra kick off its new season as its first-ever Black principal musician". WHYY. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Joseph Conyers announced as the Philadelphia Orchestra's new principal double bass". The Strad. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  13. ↑ Shulze, Talia (May 15, 2023). "Joseph Conyers Named Principal Bass at Philadelphia Orchestra". Symphony. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Juilliard string faculty appoints two new double bassists". The Strad. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  15. ↑ "BU Tanglewood Institute Alum Returns to Direct Orchestra Program". Boston University. July 31, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Joseph Conyers Hits All the Right Notes — Onstage and in Service". WHYY. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Joseph Conyers". LA Phil. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Double bassist to receive $50,000 award from Sphinx Organization". The Strad. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Joseph Conyers". Boyer College of Music and Dance. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ bfc-admin (December 7, 2018). "Musical America names 30 arts "innovators, independent thinkers, and entrepreneurs" for 2018". Symphony. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
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