Mr. Arthur Esposito
Instructor: Jazz Lab
Ph: 804.828.1166
E-mail: ajesposit@vcu.edu

In February 2003, bassist Art Esposito moved to Richmond from California, where he had spent four years as a studio bass instructor and two years lecturing on jazz and music history/appreciation at Grossmont College in El Cajon, California, also performing with the jazz faculty ensemble. He lectured on jazz history and performance practices and general music history at San Diego State University and was a founding member of the Neo-Modern Jazz Quintet, a jazz education outreach group that performed and lectured at high schools and colleges in San Diego County. He has offered private bass instruction for over ten years.

Art holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and a Master of Arts degree in Musicology from San Diego State University, where he focused his graduate studies on an in-depth historical and theoretical survey of elements of the jazz-improvisational language. He has interviewed and learned from such renowned jazz musicians and composers as Ron Carter, Anthony Davis, and Maria Schneider; jazz educators Neil Slater, Dan Haerle, Fred Sturm, and David Roitstien; and presenter Rob Gibson (formerly of Jazz @ Lincoln Center).

In his fifteen years as a professional musician, Art has performed with San Diego musicians Joe Marillo, George Casas, and Return to One and was a regular member of the Paul Holtz Trio. As part of the rhythm section of San Diego State University’s top-ranked jazz ensemble, he also performed with artists Ellen Johnson, Holly Hoffman, Mundell Lowe, Louis Bellson, Ernie Watts, Bill Holman, Kim Richmond, and Pete Christlieb. He performed for five years with the San Diego State University Symphony Orchestra, serving as Principal Bassist for three of those years, and gave volunteer performances with the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra and the East County Chapter of the San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra, in addition to performing jazz gigs throughout San Diego.

Art is a regular member of the pit orchestra for The Barksdale Theater and Theatre IV in Richmond and is Co-Principal Bassist of the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra. He also holds a Professional Faculty position in the Office of Academic Advising within VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences and is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra.