Ryan Bassett

Originally from State College, Pennsylvania, Ryan Bassett began his double bass studies in middle school with Jim Robinson. He completed a combined degree program at Penn State where he earned a bachelor’s in double bass performance as a student of Rob Nairn, and a master of arts in musicology. He then completed postgraduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University where he studied with Micah Howard, after which he continued private study with Brandon McLean. Prior to joining the Phoenix Symphony as assistant principal bass in 2026, Ryan was a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony, and the Sarasota Opera.