“You never hear the name Edgar Meyer unless it’s followed by ‘the greatest double bass player in the world’,” says Carl Vine of the 2019 Musica Viva Festival’s marquee star. “This has been a given fact for 20 years. There’s no disputing that he is simply a remarkable musician.”

Musica Viva Artistic Director Carl Vine. Photo © Keith Saunders

High praise indeed, and it’s clear that Vine is delighted to have snagged the American bassist for the last Musica Viva Festival he’ll curate, stepping down as Artistic Director at the end of this year.

Vine says that engaging a bassist was a logical choice for 2019’s chamber music celebration, explaining that it follows on from the Festival’s two previous featured guests – a violinist (Pinchas Zukerman) and cellist (Mischa Maisky). “It’s a natural progression to have a double bass. And if you’re going to have a double bass, your first choice is always Edgar Meyer.”

But Meyer differs from his predecessors in that he’s known for being a crossover artist, something that Vine celebrates. “It kind of frees up your approach to concerts so you...