Life member Richard Feves, bassist, pianist, accordionist, composer, and arranger, died Sunday, November 23, 2025, in Santa Monica, California. He was 76 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Richard had a long career as a double bassist in Los Angeles, logging well over 1,000 recording sessions for motion pictures, television, and records. In addition to his recording work, he performed live with artists ranging from Leopold Stokowski to Jerry Garcia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Richard began his musical journey on piano and accordion at age five, but it was an invitation from his cousin, Julie Feves (bassoon AFM Local 47), to attend the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, that led him to take up the double bass. After Interlochen, Richard secured a position with the Portland Symphony Orchestra (now the Oregon Symphony) while finishing high school. After graduating high school, he moved to New York City to attend The Juilliard School, where he studied double bass with Stuart Sankey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
After Juilliard, Richard briefly left for Europe to study conducting, then returned to the United States and relocated to California. In California, he performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the California Chamber Symphony, and many other regional orchestras in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Soon Richard established himself in the motion picture recording industry while also developing an interest in double bass pedagogy. His foundation, the Backstage Bass Society (BSBS), held annual conferences at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui, where the fine details of double bass technique were explored through workshops, seminars, and luncheons. Many of Los Angeles\u2019s most in-demand double bassists attended these conferences to further refine right-hand technique and income tax strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n