Micah Howard

Assistant Teaching Professor of Double Bass

Bio

Micah Howard enjoys a very rewarding career as both a performer and a teacher. He joined the world renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1996 at the age of 25. As a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, he has toured five continents, including Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and North America. Howard regularly performs as a recitalist, and chamber musician. He has also been featured as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Howard has always been active as a music educator. In addition to private teaching, he regularly serves as lecturer for various universities, coaches youth ensembles, such as the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Youngstown Youth Symphony Orchestra, and in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony's outreach program, visits local grade schools and high schools to coach ensembles and promote music education. Since the spring of 2000, he has been teaching string bass as adjunct faculty at the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University, and is also an adjunct professor at Duquesne University. At Carnegie Mellon, Howard serves as Artist Lecturer in Double Bass. 

As a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Howard has served on several committees. Most notably, he was a member of the core audition committee for five years, serving as chair for two of those years. While on this committee, he played a role in hiring more than twenty full-time and substitute members of the orchestra. He was also involved in creating a new process, which was instituted in 2005, for hiring new musicians. Currently he is a member of the Orchestra and Artistic Committees. 

Howard received his Bachelor of Music degree from Youngstown State University, and his Masters of Music degree from Duquesne University School of Music. His teachers include Tony Leonardi, Rodney Van Sickle, Edward Pales, Peter Paul Adamiac, and Jeffrey Turner. While still a student, Howard performed as a member of many regional orchestras, such as the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and the Erie Philharmonic. He also played as a substitute with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestras, and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. In 1995 he took first place in the International Society of Bassists Orchestral Competition.