Nicholas Recuber
Adjunct Faculty, Bass
Newman Performing Arts Center, 2344 East Iliff Ave. Denver, CO 80210
Professional Biography
Nicholas Recuber is a versatile double bassist whose career spans classical, jazz, and popular music. Born in Philadelphia, he began playing bass at age 14, initially focusing on jazz. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from Rowan University before turning his focus to classical performance. He holds a Master’s degree in Classical Performance from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Orin O’Brien. He continued his studies with Nico Abondolo at the University of Southern California, earning a Graduate Certificate.
Recuber serves as Assistant Principal Bass of the Colorado Symphony. Previous positions include: Principal Bass of the Santa Barbara Symphony and fellow with the New World Symphony for two seasons. He has performed with major ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony and regularly appears at festivals including: the Grand Teton Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and Lucerne Forward Festival.
As a recording artist, Recuber appears as Principal Bass with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on its 2019 album Music for Violin and Orchestra and as Assistant Principal Bass on its 2026 release, Body in Motion. He is featured performer with Compass Resonance on its 2023 release titled Boulder Bach Festival and its 2026 album, J.S. Bach and Silvestrov. He also appears on a Decca Records recording with Denver-based choir Kantorei, performing the music of Grammy award winning composer Christopher Tin.
Recuber's published work, Fantasies for Double Bass (Carl Fischer Music), reimagines Telemann's violin repertoire for double bass, creating a bridge between early Baroque solo repertoire and the more advanced works of Bach.
Equally at home on upright and electric bass, Recuber has performed with artists including Gregory Porter, Cynthia Erivo, Ingrid Michaelson, and Steve Vai. Since 2023, he has performed and toured with Nathaniel Rateliff on both upright and electric bass, beginning with A Little Touch of Rateliff: The Songs of Harry Nilsson and continuing in 2024 with a tour celebrating the music of Leonard Cohen.
In 2026, he collaborated with William Hill to premier Fantasy for Double, Electric Bass and Orchestra, a concerto for both instruments, written specifically for Recuber. This year Recuber will perform Jeff Beal's Concerto for Jazz Bass with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, one of the few works written specifically for an electric and upright bass soloist.
A dedicated advocate for the next generation of bassists, Recuber has taught at the University of Denver for four years. Prior to the University of Denver, he led the classical bass department at the University of Northern Colorado for over a decade. He regularly leads masterclasses at institutions including The New School, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, and Sheridan College.
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2tqFvRtlw&list=PLZJjWwwKhrwA&index=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOY4dOVpg8k&list=PLZJjWwwKhrwA&index=2
Recuber serves as Assistant Principal Bass of the Colorado Symphony. Previous positions include: Principal Bass of the Santa Barbara Symphony and fellow with the New World Symphony for two seasons. He has performed with major ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony and regularly appears at festivals including: the Grand Teton Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and Lucerne Forward Festival.
As a recording artist, Recuber appears as Principal Bass with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on its 2019 album Music for Violin and Orchestra and as Assistant Principal Bass on its 2026 release, Body in Motion. He is featured performer with Compass Resonance on its 2023 release titled Boulder Bach Festival and its 2026 album, J.S. Bach and Silvestrov. He also appears on a Decca Records recording with Denver-based choir Kantorei, performing the music of Grammy award winning composer Christopher Tin.
Recuber's published work, Fantasies for Double Bass (Carl Fischer Music), reimagines Telemann's violin repertoire for double bass, creating a bridge between early Baroque solo repertoire and the more advanced works of Bach.
Equally at home on upright and electric bass, Recuber has performed with artists including Gregory Porter, Cynthia Erivo, Ingrid Michaelson, and Steve Vai. Since 2023, he has performed and toured with Nathaniel Rateliff on both upright and electric bass, beginning with A Little Touch of Rateliff: The Songs of Harry Nilsson and continuing in 2024 with a tour celebrating the music of Leonard Cohen.
In 2026, he collaborated with William Hill to premier Fantasy for Double, Electric Bass and Orchestra, a concerto for both instruments, written specifically for Recuber. This year Recuber will perform Jeff Beal's Concerto for Jazz Bass with the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, one of the few works written specifically for an electric and upright bass soloist.
A dedicated advocate for the next generation of bassists, Recuber has taught at the University of Denver for four years. Prior to the University of Denver, he led the classical bass department at the University of Northern Colorado for over a decade. He regularly leads masterclasses at institutions including The New School, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, and Sheridan College.
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2tqFvRtlw&list=PLZJjWwwKhrwA&index=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOY4dOVpg8k&list=PLZJjWwwKhrwA&index=2
