Judson Baines

Judson Baines joined the Charlotte Symphony as Assistant Principal Bass in the fall of 2020. He began playing music at the age of 9 with the electric bass before picking up the double bass in his public school system at age 11. A native of North Carolina, Baines was born in Wilmington and raised in the Raleigh area, where he began his private studies with Bob Anderson of the North Carolina Symphony.

Baines received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, and his master’s degree from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Jeff Bradetich and Timothy Pitts, respectively. Additional mentors include Paul Ellison, Craig Brown, Gudrun Raschen, and Paul Sharpe, with whom he studied for a year at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school program in Winston-Salem, NC.

Baines has spent several summers at music festivals across the country. He attended the Brevard Music Center for two summers and received fellowships to the Aspen Music Festival and the Wabass Institute for the 21st Century Bass Player.

What's your favorite thing about living in Charlotte? 

I think it's really awesome that I can be in my home state and have my family easily visit me and vice versa. I would also say meeting new people is a huge thing for me. I love people, and I really like to have genuine connections with good people. I enjoy being outdoors, so I will definitely be scoping out places to hike and bike, which I've heard there are plenty of in Charlotte. With pretty much any city, it's always fun to explore all the food and entertainment that gives it its character!