Faculty Profile
Bebo Shiu

Double Bass

Bebo Shiu joined Longy’s faculty as a double bass instructor last fall. He draws on his experience as both a freelance musician in Boston and a member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra to help Longy musicians find their voice and career path.

When I was working as a freelance musician in Boston, I kept meeting people who were surviving and thriving in the Boston freelance scene—which can be really challenging to do. These same people were winning local auditions and expanding their networks, and I could tell there was something unique about them. When I’d look up their bios, I’d find out they went to Longy.

Students around the country are demanding a rebranding of education for classical musicians, and that’s what Longy’s career-based Catalyst Curriculum provides. It takes street smarts and an entrepreneurial spirit to thrive as a musician today. Music education is endangered in our current climate and economy, but Longy has its priorities straight and prepares musicians to be entrepreneurs. There’s not a minute to waste anymore as a musician, because it’s not a brave new world—it’s a tough new scene. That’s how I decided that Longy was the place to be.