Since October, internationally renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has been touring North America, giving dazzling arena-sized performances on his 30th Anniversary World Tour. The concerts capture Bocelli's talent with a range of vocal repertoire, including arias, holiday music, love songs and selections from his many albums released last year.
This Sunday, at Bocelli's concert held at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena, local bassist and music educator Gary Gatzke has been invited to perform with the orchestra, accompanying one of the most recognizable voices across the world.
Gatzke came to IPR to speak to Christy L'Esperance about how he gets involved with the community as a bassist and the experiences that led him to this exciting performance.
Hear the full interview by clicking "Listen" below.
By day, Gatzke serves as the Director of Continuing and Community Education at Interlochen Center for the Arts. By night, the northern Michigan native is principal double bassist of the Traverse City Philharmonic and the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra by night. Gatzke also oversees the chamber music program for the Traverse City Philharmonic.
This is not his first experience playing with a high-profile artist. Gatzke has previously performed with musicians such as "Weird Al" Yankovic and Josh Groban, but this is his first time performing in a venue as immense as the Little Caesars Arena.
"Those previous performances were here at Interlochen, at Kresge Auditorium, so roughly a four thousand-seat auditorium," he said. "Little Caesars Arena in Detroit seats around twenty-two thousand."
Gatzke will only have one rehearsal with the ensemble before a soundcheck on Sunday and a fast-approaching concert that evening.
He is proud to be part of a tight-knit community of double bass players across Michigan, with those who play in ensembles in southern and northern Michigan, and worldwide, connected with the International Society of Bassists. He is especially excited to join the orchestra playing with Bocelli because he has personal connections to some of the other bassists who were invited.
"It's exciting to engage with players that are all over the state — and sometimes outside of the state — that we get to perform with here in northern Michigan," reflected Gatzke.
Gary Gatzke will appear with Andrea Bocelli this Sunday, December 7 at 8 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. But don't fret if you can't make it down to Detroit. Gatzke will be performing with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra next Thursday and Friday, December 11 and 12, playing Messiah by Candlelight, featuring the GLCO Chorus and guest soloists, at Petoskey's Great Lakes Center for the Arts.
