ABOUT US

SLAVA Publishing was established in 1993 as an outlet for the work of George Vance, a bass performer and instructor. The company publishes music for double bass and cello and retails instruments and bows to that segment of the public interested in good equipment for students. Our catalogue also includes recordings and other items pertinent to double bass teaching and performing.

George Vance, who passed away in 2009, specialized in teaching the double bass to young children. George launched his teaching career working with Annette Costanzi to develop a bass methodology suitable for employing the philosophy of Shinichi Suzuki to teach the bass to children as young as five years old. His works, Progressive Repertoire for the Double Bass (3 volumes) and Vade Mecum for the Double Bass, are published by Carl Fischer Music. He also encouraged instrument makers to produce basses and bows in proper sizes for children.

George also directed the Summer Bass Workshop, an annual five-day event featuring leading artist-teachers. He was on the faculty of the University of Maryland and taught at workshops in Ireland, England, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Australia and throughout the United States. A student of Anthony Bianco and a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University, he also studied with Shinichi Suzuki and François Rabbath. He holds the teaching certificate of the Institut International François Rabbath.

He was awarded the American String Teachers Association’s “Citation for Outstanding Leadership and Merit” in 1990. In 1995 the International Society of Bassists presented him with a “Special Recognition” award for his work with young bassists.

George served on the board of directors of the International Society of Bassists and was editor of the  "Child's Play" column and a frequent contributor to that organization’s magazine.

Apart from the double bass he was also a choir director and the author of works of liturgical music for the Orthodox Church.