Member Spotlight:

Engaging Differences with Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Bassist Shawn Conley

Look him up. Honolulu-born Shawn Conley posts some amazing gigs in between cute pictures of his family. Just how amazing?

There’s the new release, American Railroad, with the Grammy-Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, celebrating, playing, and reveling in the differences of the indigenous peoples and the immigrants who came together to build the Transcontinental Railroad, telling multi-cultural stories of diversity, suffering, and hope in music.

Or how about performing a solo bass piece composed by hero/mentor François Rabbath, while Philippe Petit recreates his famous Twin Towers high-wire walk, 50 years later, at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan this past August?

As the principal bassist with Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra and so much more, Conley may have achieved a kind of greatness most working musicians only dream of, but he remains grateful, grounded, and ever curious to reach out and make more meaningful connections, celebrating, playing, and reveling in the differences that make life — and music — profoundly interesting.

Tell us a little about Shawn Conley, bassist and composer. 

I was born on Oahu. I started seriously playing bass when I was a freshman in high school after going to an International Society of Bassists (ISB) conference the summer before. The concerts I saw there and the people I met shaped so much of the life I have today. When I heard what the bass could do, I was blown away, and all I wanted was to chase down the people I’d heard and ask them how they do it. That still feels like what I am doing today, adding more and more inspirations to chase down and learn from.

I fell into composition somewhat accidentally. I have always written songs to play in a band context and loved it. I got lucky and got asked to make an arrangement of one of those songs for string quintet and learned so much from it. Then, The Knights (a chamber orchestra based in Brooklyn I am a part of) asked me to do some arranging, and I had a blast. Now, it has become a large part of my creative life.

What an artist shares on social media says a lot about their character. Are they only concerned about their next gig, their next vanity project, stoking ego, who they’re shmoozing to see and be seen, or is it about something more…something deeper and far reaching that interacts profoundly with the world around them? Your social media (Facebook, Instagram) makes an immediate, profound impact, because of the work you’re currently involved in — not for your own glory, but as a part of the Grammy-award-winning collective, Silkroad Ensemble (cellist Yo-Yo Ma founder), with artistic director Rhiannon Giddens.

Thanks! Social media is so hard to grapple with, for me at least. I’ve always shied away from wanting to talk about myself, who I play with, or my success in real-life interactions, so it feels strange to be bragging about them on the Internet. That being said, I know that as a musician in this world, we are all our own publicists to a certain degree, so I still do put some things online and try to make sure they are things I care about deeply.

The biggest takeaway from scrolling your social media lately has to be Silkroad’s recent release of American Railroad (Nonesuch), featuring the voices and the stories of the indigenous, “African Americans, as well Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and other immigrant laborers whose contributions [to the Transcontinental Railroad] have been largely erased from history.” What are you most excited for listeners to hear — and feel — from this new album?

Thank you! I am so happy to be a part of this project. It was so special to see and hear Rhiannon’s vision come to life onstage. This project has many different parts to dive into if folks want to. The record was recorded at the end of our tour last year and is a set of songs commissioned and arranged to highlight and tell the often-forgotten stories of the immigrant railroad laborers. I love the idea of art being able to open doors to new perspectives to the audience, and this album strives to do that. If folks are more interested in diving down the rabbit hole, there is a podcast, as well as a digital booklet with more information about the history of the music and communities, and our process as a whole.

You’ve performed alongside and backed so many famous artists, near and far, including Peter Gabriel, Béla Fleck, Abe Lagrimas Jr., Eddie Henderson, Raiatea Helm, Sting, and in soundtracks for so many famous, important motion picture projects — “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” “True Grit,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Ken Burns/Lynn Novick’s “The Vietnam War” documentary. Any memorable moments?

There have definitely been a lot of super-fun concerts these past few years! What I end up remembering more than the concerts themselves is the time spent talking to and getting to know people I’m playing with. I’ve been so happy to find out that so many of my heroes are actually real people, and enjoy just hanging out and talking. And once that has happened, it’s so much more fun to play music together, since you’re not star-struck and terrified!

At the end of this summer season, I did have a few projects that I will remember for a long time for sure:

I played a completely surreal event at St. John the Divine with Philippe Petit (the French high-wire artist from “Man on Wire”) and Sting. Philippe is good friends with my teacher and mentor François Rabbath, and they have worked together for many years. I was so honored to get to play one of François’ solo pieces, while Philippe recreated his historic walk across the Twin Towers. It was such a magical moment for me. Then, after that, to play several songs with Sting was such a blast and a total dream.

After that August show, I got to put my other musical hat on and went up to Tanglewood in Stockbridge, MA with The Knights and play a two-night show of four Mozart piano concertos with pianist Emanuel Ax! It was a wonderful few weeks!

As the principal bassist with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra, you must also have some interesting stories to share. What’s it like performing for all kinds of audiences on a regular basis? How fulfilling must it be to see so many people of all ages enjoying classically rendered music, performed live. Usually, it’s the rock stars that get all the attention.

My favorite things about playing with the Hawaii Symphony now is getting to explore so much great repertoire with the same group of folks throughout the year. Everyone is really great! I feel like there are a lot of good things on the horizon for the group, and the audience feels the excitement. It’s also been really wonderful to work with Dane Lam, our music director. He brings so much joy and energy to the programs, I love being a part of it.

You earned a spot with the Honolulu Symphony, it says in your website bio, when you were in high school. How did that impressive achievement come about?

Well, I got lucky. They held an audition for a spot the summer before my senior year in high school and my teacher, George Wellington Sr., said I needed to take it. So, I worked hard and went for it. In the end, I was so lucky to get to play a season with the Orchestra before going off to college. The schedule did get tricky with my classes though!

The Musicians Association of Hawai’i, AFM Local 677, plays a huge role in your working life. How has it helped you navigate gigs, shows, and long-term security?

Growing up, the union was ultra-important, because it housed the main place I went to go hear and play jazz, Studio 6. It was where I learned so much and eventually had some of my first jazz performance experiences. I still love to get to go hear and play at 909 and feel so lucky that it is still a part of our musical community. In a town that is always in need of venues, having the union support musicians like this, I think, is great.

Scrolling your Instagram, it seems your calendar’s overflowing, doing what you love, playing a variety of music in a variety of settings with a variety of amazing, collaborative artists. What does a typical year look like for you, and what’s in store next year?

This next year, I’ll be playing my three main groups a good amount: The Knights, Silkroad, and the Hawai’i Symphony. The Symphony has a Beethoven fest that I’m really excited about. I’ve never played all nine symphonies before! With The Knights, we will be continuing our three-year residency at Carnegie Hall, playing with many exciting guest artists, like Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.

I am releasing my first solo record this March on In a Circle Records, which I am thrilled about! It is a combination of Bach’s first cello suite, paired with improvised pieces. The improvisations are in between each movement and are inspired by the movements before or after. I’m so excited to put this out in the world. As someone who loves my life as a collaborator, it’s unique and special for me to release something that is wholly my own.

I am also very excited to be playing several concerts with Ocean Music Action, a nonprofit Megan Conley (fantastic harpist, and my wife!) founded. The organization pairs beautiful concerts with environmental outreach activities within the community. We have a number of shows coming up, including a family day concert at Carnegie Hall in April.

A lot of classical musicians lean toward jazz, such as yourself. What about jazz moves you that may be different from classical, orchestral music?

To me, I am playing my best when they all feel the same. My brain seems to work best when I feel in the moment, so improvised music feels very natural. I do my best to trick myself into thinking that the written music I’m playing is actually improvised. (Or at least feels that way.) It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it feels great!

How has growing up in the islands shaped you as an artist, compared to your Mainland counterparts? What’s it like to live in Hawai’i, for those who’ve never been?

The spirit of Aloha, being kind and taking care of one another, is so important here. In a professional industry where people can get sidetracked into thinking they need to be “better” than someone or beat someone out of a job, I’ve found that being kind and always listening has kept me happy and gotten me where I am today. The vast majority of my favorite artists are wonderful people and a joy to be around, no matter where they are from. But I feel very lucky that this mindset was instilled in me from the beginning here in Hawai’i.

What are you most proud of in your career, and what do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?

I’m excited to keep doing all I am doing now and see it grow. I would like to continue to make records of my own and write more music. I’d like to write a concerto, and more chamber music. I’m also very excited to play more music with my wife Megan and my son Osian, who is just starting his musical life on piano and drums!

How would you like to be remembered?

I hope that I can make people happy, both as a person and with my art. If my music can make you feel something, or look at the world a bit differently, then I’m happy. With my music, my hope is to convey the immense joy I have for life through sound. I have so much fun playing and writing music, and I want everyone that is a part of it to feel the same way.

Performances:

• “Courante & Sarabande” (Bach Cello Suite No. 1), recent solo recital at HPR
• Silkroad “Wedding” w/Yo-Yo Ma & Kinan Azmeh
• Phoenix Rising: Silkroad’s “Omoide” w/Rhiannon Giddens & Maeve Gilchrist
• “Far Down Far,” Silkroad Ensemble

From the Winter 2024 issue, Ke Ola O Na Mele