MEYER WRITTEN BY WARREN DENNEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM MCGUIRE
Celebrated bassist and composer Edgar Meyer insists on keeping that simple dialogue. His work as a soloist, and in various ensembles and other collaborations, brings the universal language of music into focus, accessible to everyone. Though rooted in the classical world, he may be the ultimate “everyman,” anchoring and melding together what many consider to be disparate genres and sensibilities. He is hailed as his instrument’s most remarkable virtuoso, a performer whose singular expression comes from an unequalled and thoughtful ear, and allows melody to take life.
Meyer, a longtime member of Local 257, received the
Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1994, and in 2000 he became the only bassist to receive the Avery Fisher Prize. He was recognized with a MacArthur Award in 2002. continued on page 18
JANUARY–MARCH 2015 17