|
Tthe American double-bassist, Jacqueline Pickett, obtained her Bachelor of Music degree with high honors from West Virginia University; her Master of Music degree from Yale School of Music; and her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her musical abilities cover a wide range of performance genres.
Jacqueline Pickett began her career as a section bassist with the Jacksonville, Florida Symphony Orchestra. She is Principal Bassist of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and and LaGrange Georgia Symphony Orchestra. She is an Artist Affiliate at Agnes Scott College, and Double Bass Instructor at Clark-Atlanta University; and Instructor of Double Bass at Columbus State University where she teaches both classical and jazz applied double bass lessons and coordinates the double bass studio. She was also a regular substitute bassist with the Charlotte, North Carolina, Louisiana Philharmonic, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee Symphony orchestras.
As a chamber musician, Jacqueline Pickett was bassist with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra Nashville) and Atlanta contemporary Ensemble Thamyris. Both ensembles recorded and commissioned numerous new works by composers such as Michael Torke, Tania Leon, Trey Anastasio, Alvin Singleton, Terry Riley and Pauline Oliveros. Both Riley (Khayal.) and Oliveros (New Circle Five) invited Pickett to tour with them after hearing her perform their compositions in concert with Thamyris. She has also performed and recorded with the Ritz Chamber Players. As principal bass of the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Pickett was an guest of Trey Anastasio at the Bonnaroo Music festival and participated in several recordings sessions of his works. She has given solo double-bass lecture-recitals in Johannesburg, South Africa and universities throughout the USA. She continues to present concerts with her American Roots Music Trio (with Violinist Diane Monroe and Jazz Tap Dancer/Folklorist Scholar Germaine Ingram) on current social issues.
Early in her career, as an assistant professor of music at Auburn University, Jacqueline Pickett worked extensively with Snow-Hill, Alabama pianist Consuela Lee in the Lee-Pickett Jazz Duo. This duo performed throughout the State of Alabama, bringing in jazz legends, Max Roach and Milt Jackson to rural Alabama to share their artistry with generally isolated communities.
Community revitalization is at the heart of Jacqueline Pickett’s current activities as a performing artist. To this end, she is passionately involved in music education for at-risk youth and community building via music participation. She is the Founder and President of TORCH (Together, Orchestras Revitalize Community Harmony) Academy (torchacadmy.org), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization dedicated to providing formal music studies and life skills to at –risk and underserved youth. Pickett is also the bandleader of MA JAZZ (Metro Atlanta Women’s Jazz Society), a company that features small combos to 18-piece big bands that feature women artists. She was a Visiting Artist at Brandies University (February 2016) as well. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. |
