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Feature Artist
Theo Breen

Theodoretus Ignatius Breen – or just Theo to all -- always knew that music mattered. He fooled around with guitar, then cello and bass in his public school in Greenbelt, Maryland when he was in 5th and 6th grades. When is mother learned about Sarasota schools and its Pineview School for the Gifted, she moved herself and her son down to find the right opportunities for her obviously talented son. She may never has guessed just how many doors would open to young Theo with that move.

Upon entering director Chris Minck’s orchestra in 7th grade, you might say that Theo was still tinkering with both cello and bass, but being a sharp educator, Mr. Minck offered the boy an incentive. He told Theo that a truly great bass teacher was coming to town later in the school year and asked if he would like to take private lessons with Dave Cobb.

“I practiced really hard and Mr. Minck kept saying that Mr. Cobb would be coming soon,” says Theo. “When he didn’t show up after a month or so, I started getting suspicious and thought maybe this was a trick to get me to practice!”

It wasn’t a trick and when Theo played for Mr. Cobb he began his lessons immediately.

“The first book I gave him were the Simandl etudes, famous in the teaching repertoire for serious bassists,” says Cobb. “Theo called them “Evil Simandl”, but worked very hard and soon was playing the entire first book so well that he surpassed all his classmates.”

This was a turning point for Theo. Now he was ready to aim for being a professional musician.
His 7th grade year he played with the lowest orchestra in the Sarasota Youth Orchestra Program, but moved quickly up to the second highest and then top Youth Philharmonic by 9th grade. At the same time, starting in 8th grade, Theo played alongside his teacher, Dave Cobb, in the bass section of the Venice Symphony, a community level yet professional orchestra that routinely gives high school musicians an opportunity to learn and play. “This was a great experience as I was also at my teacher’s side learning the orchestral repertoire and all the styles,” adds Theo. “These rehearsals were like extensions of my private lessons.”

“I owe everything I know about bass to Mr. Cobb,” says Theo. In fact, the training of young musicians is often very dependent on the mentoring and connections of a master teacher so when Theo and Mr. Cobb attended the open rehearsals and performance of the Perlman Music Program Sarasota Winter Residency when he was in 8th grade, his teacher may well have had a plan.
“Mr. Cobb introduced me to the bass faculty member, Rachel Calin, and I borrowed her bass to play a little solo for her after the concert,” Theo recounted. “Mr. Cobb said there was no reason why I couldn’t be there – a student of the Perlman Music Program – he seemed so confident!”
This past December Theo decided it was time to try out for the program in earnest. The Perlman Music Program is a highly competitive program with only a small handful of bass players being selected from all over the world. After playing a series of pieces for Ms. Calin, including the finale from Nino Rota’s Divertimento Concertante which he had performed with the Sarasota Orchestra’s Youth Philharmonic as the concerto competition winner, he was asked to submit his formal application. When he finally received the letter from PMP he fell out of his chair upon reading the first word, Congratulations.

Theo leaves on June 18 to begin his 6 week intensive summer session with The Perlman Music Program at Shelter Island, New York. He takes with him a new bass purchased with support from his family and teacher, Mr. Cobb, as well as scholarship funding from The Perlman Music Program/Sarasota and the Sarasota Orchestra.

Bravo, Theo and good luck this summer! (submitted by Gayle A. Williams)