Boston Symphony Orchestra bassist Tom Van Dyck discusses his musical roots

Open positions in symphony orchestras are rare, and a spot in one of the best orchestras in the country is rarer still. At age 32, and after more than a decade honing his craft as a professional double bass player, Settlement alumnus and Boston Symphony Orchestra bassist Thomas Van Dyck stands at the pinnacle of his field.

Thomas with Boston Symphony Orchestra concertmaster
Malcolm Lowe after winning his double bass audition

Thomas says his initial interest in music came from listening to jazz and playing electric bass, but he was
exposed to classical music early on as well: his mother, Central Board of Trustees Chair Barrie Trimingham, frequently played classical recordings at home. He got his start playing classical music in Settlement’s Arco Chamber Orchestra, now known as the Trowbridge Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Peter Dundon from 1996-98. He also worked as an intern for the Kaleidoscope Arts Enrichment Pre-K Program with Martha Glaze Zook and played a senior recital accompanied by piano faculty and Lillian Kraus Felber Distinguished Faculty Chair Jeffrey Uhlig. After studying at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and at Boston University, he embarked on a career in music, playing orchestral and chamber music with ensembles and at festivals across the United States.


Now that he’s settled in Boston, he’s no longer crisscrossing the country for auditions or substitute gigs, but he’s still focusing intensely on his own playing. Even at the height of the profession, there’s always more to learn.

Q: What experience prepared you most for this stage of your career?

Thomas Van Dyck: When you get to a certain level of mastery, then you have to focus on developing that last five or ten percent of your playing. For me, I got that through a combination of studying with Ed Barker at Boston University and being at Yellow Barn, a summer chamber music festival in Vermont. It’s where I found the joy and motivation of being around a community of players, and that really inspired me.

Q: What does it take to be a professional musician today?

TVD: The big thing is tenacity. You have to choose where to audition, how you will travel, and how you will get around—especially if you play something big, like a bass! It can be pretty brutal after a while, and you have to commit to that lifestyle. You also have to truly love the classical repertoire. A lot of the sustaining power in a career in music comes from loving a certain piece of music. When everyone’s on the same page and playing with a ton of commitment, there’s nothing like it. Life as a musician is not always going to be perfect, but more than ever, musicians will seek out situations where everyone plays together and respects each other.

Q: What lessons from your past do you share most frequently when teaching?

TVD: What I like to pass on is excitement and an intense energy in the process of discovery. It happens when you are really in the zone and you have an extreme, selfless excitement about figuring out what you’re playing. You have this feeling of infectious enthusiasm, and you get to the point where you are no longer thinking about yourself while you’re playing.

Q: What specific lessons or memories do you take with you from your time at Settlement?

TVD: When I first joined the Arco Chamber Orchestra at Settlement, I said, “Am I really ready for this?” I thought that everyone was already so good and I had this sense of insecurity, which motivated me to work really hard. I remember thinking while practicing, “this is my own thing.” That’s where I really developed a sense of ownership: from figuring out things on my instrument and discovering it for myself. It became a process of working to get better day to day, month to month, and year to year.

This post is adapted and expanded from Settlement Music School's fall 2013 newsletter. Read more online here.

Woodwind Center Renamed in Honor of Founder and Teacher

In order to audition for the Shirley Curtiss Center for Woodwind Studies, many talented young woodwind students will come to Settlement Music School for the first time this week. To help them understand the tradition in which they are following, as well as the hard work and dedication that has gone into shaping Settlement's woodwind program, we've featured Mrs. Curtiss and her legacy of teaching as the cover story for our Fall 2013 newsletter. 

Shirley Curtiss (center), with past members of the
Rosalie Magen Weinstein and Matthew B. Weinstein
Advanced Study Woodwind Ensemble

In the greater Philadelphia region, the name Shirley Curtiss is synonymous with woodwind teaching. In nearly 50 years of teaching at Settlement Music School, Mrs. Curtiss’ achievements have gone beyond guiding and instructing young musicians. She has shaped talented individuals who play flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon into cohesive ensembles. Many of these musicians have reached the top echelon of orchestral and chamber music playing—including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, and more.

Judith LeClair, principal bassoon with the New York Philharmonic, says that even after more than 30 years with one of the world’s great orchestras, her experience playing in an ensemble coached by Mrs. Curtiss were what helped her reach the top. “Shirley coached us to sound like a top professional group,” she says. “I loved every second of it and lived for our hours together, and I knew beyond a doubt that this was going to be my life.” Read more of Judith's tribute to Mrs. Curtiss here.

In recognition of and thanks for Mrs. Curtiss’ impact on the woodwind program that she founded in 1964 and grew to national renown, this program has been named the Shirley Curtiss Center for Woodwind Studies, encompassing every wind ensemble program at all of Settlement’s Branches, from introductory-level groups to students playing in the most advanced chamber ensembles.

Flutist Mimi Stillman will be
lead member of the Shirley Curtiss
Center for Woodwind Studies

Shirley and her husband Sid, another longtime faculty member and chamber music coach, have dedicated more than 80 years of combined service to Settlement, and they have made provisions for the Center to thrive in the future by the establishment of a distinguished faculty position, named the Shirley and Sidney Curtiss Distinguished Faculty Chair. Mimi Stillman, a noted flutist, Yamaha Performing Artist, and founder of the Dolce Suono Ensemble, will be the first faculty member in that position. As coach of many of the Center’s ensembles, Ms. Stillman will maintain and grow the program which Mrs. Curtiss established and which, since its inception, has grown to more than a dozen ensembles. “It is a great honor to become the Shirley and Sidney Curtiss Distinguished Faculty Chair, following in the illustrious tradition of wind chamber ensemble instruction Mrs. Curtiss has built at Settlement,” Ms. Stillman says. “I look forward to working with fellow faculty, staff, and the talented students at Settlement Music School.

Happily, Mrs. Curtiss’ presence at the School will continue this fall, as she will remain as coach of the Rosalie Magen Weinstein and Matthew B. Weinstein Advanced Study Woodwind Quintet in this upcoming school year.