Hailed as a "...virtuoso..." by the New York Times, "...an extraordinary musician..." by the Washington Post and "...stupefying..." by L'Est Vaudois (Switzerland), Richard Fredrickson made his Carnegie Recital Hall debut at the age of 24 after winning the Concert Artists Guild award. This marked the first time the award had ever been presented to a double bassist.
Mr. Fredrickson has been a guest artist with such orchestras as the Seattle, Omaha, Richmond and Baton Rouge Symphonies, the New York Chamber and Washington Chamber Symphonies. He has toured twice in Italy as soloist with the Orchestra of the North Carolina School of the Arts where he also taught in the summer program. He has toured in Europe and appeared several times at the Kennedy Center to great critical acclaim with the Washington Chamber Symphony. He also toured in the United States with Mitch Miller and his orchestra performing the Paganini Moses Fantasy. In recital he has been heard in many venues in the United Staes including New York, Seattle and Washington, DC, and in Italy. His festival engaements include the New Hampshire White Mountain Festival, Aspen, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the Fredericksburg Festival of the Arts.
Chamber music has always been a special passion for Fredrickson. He has appeared with such groups and artists as the Muir String Quartet, Copenhagen String Trio, Philadelphia String Quartet, Lyric Piano Quartet, Bargemusic, Yo-Yo Ma, Carol Wincenc, Heidi Lehwalder, Christopher O'Riley, Anton Nel and Anne-Maire McDermott.
Ever seeking to expand the solo double bass repertoire, Mr. Fredrickson has had many sonatas, suites and concerti written for him by various composers. In October/November 2004 his solo CD (with the Slovak Radio Orchestra, Kirk Trevor conducting) of Vittorio Giannini's Psalm 130, John Carbon's Endangered Species and William Thomas McKinley's Passacaglia will be released on the MMC (Master Musicians Collective)label. Though the Giannini was written in 1963 the entire CD is a World Premiere recording.