
Derek Zadinsky has been the Assistant Principal Bass of the Cleveland Orchestra since 2021. Prior to that, he became a member of the Cleveland Orchestra bass section in 2012. Previous to Cleveland, Derek served as Principal Bass with Symphony in C (formerly the Haddonfield Symphony) in Camden, New Jersey. He has also performed as a substitute musician in the bass sections of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony in Miami. Derek won first place at the 2011 International Society of Bassists Orchestral Competition in San Francisco.
Derek currently teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and Cleveland State University. Additionally, he has taught masterclasses at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, DePaul University in Chicago, Fredonia State University of New York and via Zoom at Stony Brook University in New York. Derek has published an edition of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5, which is available on Apple Books. Derek’s students have had professional performance opportunities with the Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Erie
Philharmonic, Akron Symphony, Canton Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Lansing Symphony, and Youngstown Symphony. His students have also auditioned successfully to study at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, Carnegie Mellon, Cincinnati Conservatory, DePaul University, Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, Aspen Music Festival, Domaine Forget, & Wabass.
Derek has performed as a soloist in works by Koussevitzky with the Seattle Symphony and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra. He has also performed in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium with string orchestra for performances of Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 and his own arrangement of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen. In 2019, Derek’s debut solo album, Bach + Brahms, was released by the Oberlin Music Label for streaming through Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Also in 2019, he presented a recital at the International Society of Bassists Convention at Indiana University. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the North Coast Chamber Music Festival in the Chicago area, ChamberFest Cleveland, and the Encore Chamber Music Festival. Derek also enjoys performing regularly with his Cleveland Orchestra colleagues in a bluegrass quintet called the Cleveland Bluegrass Orchestra.
A native of Issaquah, Washington, Derek earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Harold Robinson, the former Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra and soloist Edgar Meyer. He furthered his studies with Edgar Meyer at the Aspen Music Festival and School for three summers. Prior to his studies at Curtis, he studied privately for four years with Jordan Anderson, the Principal Bass of the Seattle Symphony. While a student at Curtis, Derek gained experience performing chamber music with Joseph Silverstein, Ida Kavafian, Carter Brey, Ray Chen, and members of the Dover Quartet.
Outside of music, Derek enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, and their two Yorkies, Maverick and Maya.
Derek currently teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and Cleveland State University. Additionally, he has taught masterclasses at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, DePaul University in Chicago, Fredonia State University of New York and via Zoom at Stony Brook University in New York. Derek has published an edition of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5, which is available on Apple Books. Derek’s students have had professional performance opportunities with the Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Erie
Philharmonic, Akron Symphony, Canton Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Lansing Symphony, and Youngstown Symphony. His students have also auditioned successfully to study at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, Carnegie Mellon, Cincinnati Conservatory, DePaul University, Eastman School of Music, University of Michigan, Aspen Music Festival, Domaine Forget, & Wabass.
Derek has performed as a soloist in works by Koussevitzky with the Seattle Symphony and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra. He has also performed in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium with string orchestra for performances of Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2 and his own arrangement of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen. In 2019, Derek’s debut solo album, Bach + Brahms, was released by the Oberlin Music Label for streaming through Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Also in 2019, he presented a recital at the International Society of Bassists Convention at Indiana University. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the North Coast Chamber Music Festival in the Chicago area, ChamberFest Cleveland, and the Encore Chamber Music Festival. Derek also enjoys performing regularly with his Cleveland Orchestra colleagues in a bluegrass quintet called the Cleveland Bluegrass Orchestra.
A native of Issaquah, Washington, Derek earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with Harold Robinson, the former Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra and soloist Edgar Meyer. He furthered his studies with Edgar Meyer at the Aspen Music Festival and School for three summers. Prior to his studies at Curtis, he studied privately for four years with Jordan Anderson, the Principal Bass of the Seattle Symphony. While a student at Curtis, Derek gained experience performing chamber music with Joseph Silverstein, Ida Kavafian, Carter Brey, Ray Chen, and members of the Dover Quartet.
Outside of music, Derek enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, and their two Yorkies, Maverick and Maya.