Fellow Profile: John Shank

John Shank is a third-year Bass Fellow at the New World Symphony. Over the last four years, he has performed as a freelance musician in and around Philadelphia while studying privately with Hal Robinson. These performances include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Rochester Philharmonic, Philly Pops, Delaware Symphony and Lancaster Symphony. In April 2023, he performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, where the orchestra premiered John Luther Adams’ Vespers of the Blessed Earth as well as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring under the baton of Marin Alsop. Then, in May of 2023, John played with the Lancaster Symphony while they accompanied double bass virtuoso Xavier Foley and violinist Audrey Wright on Foley’s composition For Justice and Peace, a concerto for double bass and violin. John has also attended the National Orchestral Institute in both 2017 and 2018, the Wabass Institute in 2018 and the Aspen Music Festival in 2017. From 2018-19, John attended Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with Jeffrey Turner. During his time there, he served as Principal Bass of one of their five orchestras. Prior to attending IU, John spent a year living in Philadelphia, subbing with the Curtis Symphony and attending the Curtis bass studio master classes headed by Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer. He did his undergraduate work with Mr. Turner at Duquesne University as a music technology sound recording major, serving as the Assistant Principal for the orchestra there as well as the Principal Bass of the Wind Ensemble his senior year. Growing up, John developed many passions outside of music, including studying German, reading, military history and studying constitutional law. #orchestra #symphony #classicalmusic