Cleveland double bassist Charles Carleton currently holds a post in the double bass section of the world-renowned, Grammy Award- winning Cleveland Orchestra. Under the baton of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, Carleton performs to sold-out audiences in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Musikverein, Miami’s Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and concert halls throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Music Director Laureate Christoph von Dohnányi appointed Mr. Carleton to the double bass section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2001. At the age of 22, Charles Carleton enjoyed the unique distinction of receiving one of Dohnányi’s final appointments to the orchestra. Mr. Carleton performed on many recent recordings of the Cleveland Orchestra, including the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, the complete Brahms cycle (Yefim Bromfman, piano and Julia Fischer, violin), the Ravel Piano Concertos (Pierre Laurent-Aimard) and Mahler 10 (Pierre Boulez).
Charles Carleton strongly advocates for the development of double bass pedagogy. He has been on faculty at Cleveland State University since 2003, and joined the faculty of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts in 2014. Mr. Carleton has taught master classes at various educational institutions, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. As an avid chamber musician and soloist, Charles Carleton performs in events within his capacity as a member of The Cleveland Orchestra and in his own capacity as a solo artist. This includes performances in Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, Severance Hall’s Reinberger Hall, and Cleveland Play House. Additionally, he has performed as a featured soloist in programs at Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University.
Mr. Carleton collaborates extensively with Victor Liva and other conducting faculty at Cleveland State University. Since 2011, he has conducted various ensembles, including the CSU Chamber and Symphonic Orchestras. Charles Carleton is the founder and Music Director of Cleveland Ensemble, a newly established non-profit chamber orchestra. Cleveland Ensemble creates accessibility of world-class musical performances to a broad audience, through its long-term commitment in music education for all ages and engagement within the communities of greater Cleveland. As the artistic leader, Charles Carleton envisions a unique synergy between its classical musicians and new audiences in Northeast Ohio.
