top of page

(Auto)Biography

Click here for official biography

My musical journey has been exciting and unexpected in equal measure. I started by learning the trumpet in a public school music program, after an obsession with the Beatles prompted an earlier attempt to teach myself guitar. Inspiration to pick up the bass came from an influential teacher in the middle school jazz band, and soon after I was playing double bass in the school orchestra.
 
Private lessons with Dennis Masuzzo in high school helped to develop my technique and lead me into the world of classical music, and subsequently I was accepted into the Pre-College division at The Juilliard School. I received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Juilliard, studying with Albert Laszlo and Timothy Cobb. During my student years, I am grateful to have had performance opportunities around the world including the complete Brandenburg Concertos at Bargemusic, chamber music and gypsy improvisation at the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark, and the orchestras of the Spoleto Festival USA, Schleswig-Holstein, and Aspen Music Festivals.

 

Now as a professional, I regularly perform on both upright and electric bass in a wide variety of orchestral, chamber, solo, jazz, musical theater, and cabaret venues throughout the New York area, including with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, with the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and as half of the bass duo Low Bros. I have been a sub for over a dozen Broadway productions, and have held the bass chair at the Tony-winning Kander/Ebb/Miranda Broadway musical, New York, New Yorkas well as 9 seasons at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the Off-Broadway revivals of Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick...Boom!, Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overturesand the world premiere production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Unmasked at the Paper Mill Playhouse. I have made numerous television appearances and was honored to perform in the Broadway for Biden fundraiser concert, music directed by Alex Lacamoire. I currently hold the bass chair at Monty Python's Spamalot on Broadway.

I am very lucky to play on a variety of extremely high quality instruments; in particular, a double bass made in 2009 by Barnabás Rácz, a bow by Reid Hudsonand the XJ-1T model electric bass by Xotic Guitars, which I proudly endorse. I use Pirastro strings on my upright basses.

"The bassist Corey Schutzer and his often jazzy lines drive the eight-piece orchestra..."
-New York Times

*Yes, this was really published about my rock band in high school. Supposedly it was a misquote...

bottom of page