Brian Questa, MA., M.Mus.
Double Bassist and Composer
Brian Questa is an Irish-American double bassist and composer whose work spans jazz, contemporary composition, and experimental sound, shaped by years spent moving between New York City and Europe.Raised in New York City, Brian came up through the city's jazz scene, performing at storied venues including Tonic and The Stone alongside artists such as Tony Malaby and Mary Halvorson. He completed a BMus in Classical Double Bass with Orin O'Brien at Manhattan School of Music in 2010, studies that ran in parallel with his jazz life and early solo experimental bass performances, including a solo concert at Spectrum NYC in 2013 — a restless mix of jazz, classical, and experimental work that would come to define his artistic identity.It was a 2014 recording session in Berlin with Han Bennink, alongside an artist residency at Liebig14, that first drew Brian to the city — an introduction to the European scene that, combined with his growing pull toward composition, set the course for his move to Europe.That pull led Brian to Germany, where he studied composition with Wolfgang Rihm, completing an MMus in Composition at the Hochschule für Musik Stuttgart in 2017. These same years brought him deep into electronics: he worked as a Technical Assistant in Sound & Media at ZKM Karlsruhe (2015–2017), premiering new work as part of the ZKM Next Generation festival in 2017. He went on to complete an MA in Computer Music at the Kunstuniversität Graz in 2021, a period that also produced video installation work recognised with a special mention at the Japan Media Arts Festival, an appearance with Ensemble Modern Wien under Gerd Kühr in Graz, and two solo electronic albums, Algorithms (purely electronic) and Holz und Draht (for live electronics and acoustic instruments), both released on Bandcamp [link] [link].In 2020, Brian moved to Berlin, taking up a residency at the Akademie der Künste and beginning a five-year tenure as Orchestra Librarian at Konzerthaus Berlin, coordinating parts, scores, and licensing across the hall's resident ensembles, including the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and the Kurt Sanderling Academy.Brian now lives in Ireland, where he continues an active performing career on both electric and double bass — appearing as soloist and section player with the Sligo Baroque Orchestra, TUD Philharmonic, Mayo Concert Orchestra, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra Academy, alongside a busy presence on the jazz and folk circuit. He is currently at work on a solo double bass album, the latest step in a lifelong pursuit of a musical language all his own.
