The wonderful group of 2024
The 17th annual Mittenwald International Double Bass Masterclass
August 4th to August 9th, 2025 in Mittenwald, Germany
Teachers
Prof. Jeff Bradetich, Andreas Bennetzen, Alex Bayer, Alexis Scharff & Physiotherapist Angela Gebler
Speciel guest teacher this year is the amazing Lorraine Campet
–Register now and join us in Mittenwald–
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION
The annual Mittenwald Masterclass in Germany offers a chance for double bass students of all levels, to study a week in the historic town of Mittenwald.
Highlights include
- Multi-level teaching
- Solo lessons
- Intense technical training
- Attention and room for your personal needs
- A nice friendly learning environment
- Basses that you can borrow for FREE
- Workshops in jazz, composition and improvisation
- Highly experienced faculty
- Focus on your development
- Concerts, workshops and insight into the world of double bass making in company with famous double bass maker Michael Krahmer Pöllmann.
Our story
We started the Mittenwald Masterclass in 2005 and like the rest of the world we took a 3 year break during Covid. As a result it makes this year both our 17th and 20th anniversary. Sounds complicated? – It is really quite simple: We have spend 20 years building a super intensive double bass camp, with a cosy and friendly atmosphere. Just like we like it. Work hard, play hard.
So.. It will be the 17th time that we invite double bass players from around the world to a week of intensive double bass studies, concerts and fun. At the same time, it will be our 20th anniversary, so there will be some extra events during the masterclass. Look out for those!
Mittenwald is a historic town situated in the Bavarian Alps 938 meters up the Karwendelspitz- this area has always had excellent wood for building instruments and is the home of the Pöllmann double basses.
The town is also a popular tourist attraction so it´s full of cosy restaurants, hotels and bavarian good spirits.
Borrow a double bass for free
One element of the Mittenwald masterclass, that our students and teachers really enjoy, is the fact that all participants can borrow a double bass for FREE!!
This means that if you don´t feel like bringing your own bass, or you are travelling from far away, you can borrow a top quality instrument, for the entire duration of the course.
This is a great solution to a problem that all bassists face.
Our main sponsor is Michael Pöllmann and Pöllmann double basses. Michael is a master double bass maker, who has won numerous rewards for his instruments. He always has a lot of double basses available in his workshop.
Bow maker Willi Hoyer
Once again we are proud to announce that Willi Hoyer will set up his workshop at our masterclass. He will be making repairs and bringing a lot of bows to try. His bows are outstanding so we are very happy to have him with us for the 2nd time.
Social
Visit us on Instagram and Facebook for photos and videos uploaded by the students over the years.
Registration & more information
The masterclass is suitable for all levels of double bassists ages 12 or older.
You can register online using the link below.
You can also write an email to Alex Bayer alexbayer@posteo.de or Andreas Bennetzen info@andreasbennetzen.dk
If you are looking for some more information before signing up, please don´t hesitate to write to Alex or Andreas
Tuition fee for the 2025 course is 580€. This includes all classes and free coffee, tea and snacks, during the day.
We have the possibility of offering you a discounted price at the 4-star hotel Post Hotel during your stay.
We have a lot of knowledge about how to book affordable housing in Mittenwald. Write us an e-mail and we will send you the information. After all we have been doing this for 20 years, so you are in safe hands.
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Mittenwald and playing great music together.
Click here for online registration
Teachers
Testimonials from participants
Sara Moneo from Spain
Dear Jeff,
How are you? I’m very happy here in Germany. It is a beautiful country with great people that are trying to help me very much.
About your Bass Camp in Mittenwald, I was/am so happy! I’m practicing your method every day and I am improving so much an so fast that I’m incredibly amazed! I have a much bigger sound, I have a better control of both hands and of course of the vibrato, more precission, it has helped me use my head almost all the time… although I have so much information!! My double bass seems to be someone else’s instrument, it has a longer (from sul tasto to the bridge) range of sound… and I think I could continue for ages telling you!! I can play some of your exercices at a very fast speed and in many different tones!
It was just what I was looking for as double bass technique. It is so similar to what I have discovered on cello playing and teaching that it makes me play double bass nearly at the same level as 25 years playing cello and 18 years teaching (since I was only 15)!!
After the summer break I’m trying to look for a good teacher in this area. During the course you recommended me to write you and ask you. I live in Thüringen; near Weimar, Leipzig and Dresden. Do you know any double bassist in this area? I’m a little bit lost. What dou you think? Could you please help me?
Well Jeff, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all of your help. I hope you had a great time in Europe and that 2012/2013 is a fantastic school year at your University.
Hoping to hear from you.
All the best,
Sara Moneo
Michael from Germany
I just wanted to tell you that I really liked your masterclass week in Mittenwald.
As I came home and started practising again, I am doing your material, mostly in the thumb position and the shifting drills. And now I feel much better while playing the bass.
I also was trying different sitting positions and now finally I am more or less with the one you do. For me and for the german bow I think its best with the bass quite vertical. And I really notice a big big change in my sound, more clear, more focused and more solistic. Also my collegues in our chamber orchestra noticed the difference or I think it more that is the first time they listened really to my playing because of this new sound.
For this I want to thank you for sharing your method, your ideas and your musicality with us.
Maybe you remember Jan from Sweden. Well, he liked my playing and I am going to Umea, North Sweden, to play with the orchestra as a sub for a week. He is principal there.
Maybe when your book will be released you can let me know shortly, because there are many things I learned which I am working now with my students. And it is not only technical stuff, but also in how to teach, how to talk. I think I didn´t hear from you in this week the word “NO”
Thats all for now, but I hope we stay in contact.
Greetings from Spain / Michael and Sole
Danijel Radonovic from Croatia
Dear Jeff,
I wish you all the best in the year 2018 and may it be the year full of dreams come true!
I hope you remember me from masterclass in Mittenwald 2017. You asked me to let you know, if I could come to ‘The Pirastro string elite soloist program’ and I would like to let you know, that unfortunately this year I cannot come due to my Bachelor finals.
I hope I’ll decide to go to the Sperger competition this year, so maybe we meet there. That would be nice. I was never intersted in competitions, but now I feel it’s time to experience that kind of thing, before I start playing auditions all over the place. I hope it’ll bring me much needed new connections and possibilities.
Also, I would also like to tell you how my playing improved tremendously after masterclass in Mittenwald. My professor was shocked when he heard me play afterwards, didn’t know what to say. The way you approach technique is so simple, unique and I love it. It made me fall in love with the instrument one again, I’m really thankful for that! I know I wasn’t so opened minded on some things right away, but that’s how I am, I need time to understand and experiment, before I accept and implement it to my playing. I’m used to working like that with my professor. I hope it wasn’t too annoying.
That’s all from me!
Cheers
Danijel Radanovic
(guy from Croatia studying in Prague:)
Press – What they write about us.
The Strad Magazine January 2020 – String special
The local newspaper in 2023
The Strad Magazine 2015 – Summerplus supplement
Strad-Summerplus-2015Augsburger Allgemeine-Anniversary concert review 2015
Leopold-Mozart-Zentrum_-Der-erste-Augsburger-Meistersommer-Lokales-Augsburg-Augsburger-AllgemeineFrom the local newspaper with concert review
