Keith Hartley - Double Bass

Keith Hartley, retired from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in 2019, after 32 years as sub-principal double bass. He was presented with the ROH Long Service Medal in 2013.

Earlier in his career, he had been a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Northern & BBC Concert Orchestras. Particularly during the thirteen years (1974-87) as a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Keith toured and recorded extensively.

For many years, Keith was also the bass player with the London Harpsichord Ensemble, and can be heard on the Albinoni, Telemann and Handel oboe concerto CDs with Sarah Francis.
(These recordings are rated 3 and 4 stars in the Penquin Guide.)

Many thanks to:
Fraser King for permission to include a copy of his painting "The Lull - 2005"
Neil Gillespie © 2012 (ROH Bass section photo)
Rob Moore © 2013 (for Medal Ceremony photo)

On the educational front, Oxford University Press started publishing the "Double Bass Solo" series in 1980. These books are still going strong, with Double Bass Solo Book 1 now in it’s third edition (from 2019)

Other publications include:

Double Bass Solo Book 2 - popular book of orchestral excerpts.

Double Bass Solo Techniques - This book was published in March 2008.

Double Bass Solo Plus - 20 graded melodies & 4 duets. (Bass & Piano Books)

Subterranean Solos - 9 Concert pieces for Bass and Piano.

Bass Clef Duets - 15 Duets in bass and tenor clefs.

Since 1983, Keith has been the owner of the Joseph Panormo (1768-1837) Double Bass, which was featured in "The Strad" magazine of January 1999, and more recently in "The English Double Bass" book (2018). Click on the link above to read the instrument’s fascinating history dating back to c.1820.