Gerard McFadden

Gerard McFadden was born in Brisbane, Australia. He began learning the piano at the age of nine and then switched to the double bass six years later. After studying with Joel Gregory and Dusan Walkowicz, a member of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, he entered the Queensland Conservatory in the class of Michael Morgan, the former principal double-bassist of the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. During his studies there, he performed regularly with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and trained with John Fardon, the orchestra’s principal double-bassist. On completing his tuition, he received the Griffith University Medal and the Conservatory Medal. In 2014, he entered the Regional Conservatory in Saint-Maur, France. The next year, he was accepted into the class of Thierry Barbé at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. In 2016, Gerard successfully auditioned for the Academy of the Paris Opera. Gerard is also an accomplished jazz and pop bassist and plays regularly with Barbara Pravi, Gretchen Parlato, Barney McCall, Mike Knock, Mike Moreno, John Betsch, Will Vinson and Jacam Manricks.