Acting Principal Bass
Evan Halloin
Evan Halloin was appointed associate principal bass of the Kansas City Symphony in 2016 after having served as a member of the bass section since 2012. Prior to coming to Kansas City he was a member of the New World Symphony. He earned a master’s degree from Rice University and a bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory. His primary teachers include Timothy Pitts and Donald Palma. Mr. Halloin has performed as a substitute musician with the Chicago, Milwaukee and Houston Symphony Orchestras. He is originally from De Pere, Wisconsin.
Why does a 12 year-old choose the bass? Surely I had no idea what I was getting into at the time. I’d like to say I was enamored with the bass parts to Beethoven symphonies, or wanted to learn to play the bass solo from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, or felt I was well-suited to assuming the role of underpinning the orchestra with deep, supportive bass lines. The banal truth is I probably thought no one else in the school orchestra was going to play bass because I was the tallest. I’m glad I wasn’t aware of just how much of a pain it would be to haul this giant yet fragile instrument around, because I might have been scared away. In fact, today I love being a bass player!
De Pere, Wisconsin, which is just outside of Green Bay. Yes, I like cheese.
Live performance is real, unfiltered, unedited, direct, and ultimately an experience of the moment. As our interactions with the world and others increasingly take place through the screens of our devices, it is refreshing and even shockingly radical to see and hear the sensation of a live symphony orchestra. What happens at any given concert in Helzberg Hall can happen nowhere else.
The toppings are less important than a good crust (says the bass player).
One can make money just doing the job of a musician, but this career is only rewarding if you aspire to contribute something personal and unique to your orchestra or community.
We have a shocking number of truly fine coffee shops in KC: Oddly Correct, Monarch, Second Best, The Filling Station, Thou Mayest, Messenger, Quay, The Roasterie, PT’s, and more. I’ve developed an appreciation for a good cup of coffee or a nice espresso.
That’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child!
There are lots of great places! Il Lazzarone, Tannin, Grünauer, and Mission Taco are a few.
I feel very fortunate to be a member of this orchestra because the musicians, the concert hall, and the audiences are all wonderful here. There is a lot of variety involved with this job because we basically have a new program of music every single week. The orchestra is filled with brilliant musicians, and our art is a powerful thing.