Christian Maldonado is a double bassist and music educator whose musical journey began in fourth grade when he first picked up the cello. In sixth grade, he made the switch to double bass and quickly discovered a passion for the instrument that would shape his musical career.

 

During his middle and high school years, Christian studied double bass with Mr. Patrick Jackson and became an active member of the Young People's Concert Orchestra (YPCO) and Young People's Symphony Orchestra (YPSO). He was selected as an All-State Orchestra bassist four times and had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall on two occasions. Christian graduated from Kirkwood High School in 2020.

 

Following high school, Christian moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to attend Florida State University on a music scholarship. While at FSU, he studied double bass with Classical Double Bass Professor George Speed at a very advanced level of study, and earned a Bachelor of Music Education with an emphasis in Double Bass Performance.

 

During his time at Florida State University, Christian performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, served as Co-Principal Bassist of the FSU University Symphony Orchestra and Principal Bass for the FSU Philharmonic . His musical development was greatly influenced by his work with Dr. Kasia Bugaij, Dr. Alexander Jiménez, and Dr. Corinne Stillwell, alongside his principal studies with Professor George Speed.

 

Christian continues to combine his passion for double bass performance with his dedication to music education, bringing the experience and perspective of a professional musician into his work as an educator and performer.