Homer R. Mensch
Double Bass Faculty

Sussex, N.J., native Homer Mensch studied bass privately with Anselme Fortier before taking his first full-time playing job with the Pittsburgh Symphony, after auditioning for Otto Klemperer on the stage of Carnegie Hall in 1932. He played with the NBC Symphony under Toscanini and was a member of the New York Philharmonic under Sir John Barbirolli, Artur Rodzinski, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Leonard Bernstein, and Pierre Boulez. In addition to Juilliard (where he has been on the faculty since 1971), he has taught at Yale, Manhattan School, Mannes, Queens College, Catholic University, the New School, and Rutgers.

Homer Mensch, c. 1970.

What are the most striking differences between Juilliard now and when you first started teaching here?

Parents are much more involved now than they used to be. They take a more active interest in seeing how well their children do as students.

Has your teaching changed over the years?

Yes, it has become more detailed. As the quality of bass playing has improved over the years, it's become possible to concentrate more on nuances of interpretation and more sophisticated aspects of playing. Also, there's a much greater emphasis on playing solos than there used to be, because of the higher quality of playing and because the bass is taken more seriously as a solo instrument.

Have Juilliard students changed over the years? How?

Overall, the playing is better, and the students are more serious. It's tougher now to get work as a player than it used to be, and the students are more focused because that's what it takes to win an audition.

Who was the teacher or mentor who most inspired you when you were growing up, and what did you learn from that person?

Anselme Fortier taught me the basics of the instrument, but he didn't go into much detail. That's just the way he was with students. He'd say that sounded good or didn't sound good, but he wasn't much for explaining things. I've always had a much more explanatory approach to teaching students how to play the bass than he did. And I have to mention Toscanini, who was an idol among conductors. He was able to raise an orchestra to a level of enthusiasm that was unsurpassed. His baton technique was very simple and clear, but he brought such excitement to his conducting that he could make an orchestra play over its head.

When did you first know you wanted to pursue your career and how did you come to know it?

When I was 15 years old, I started making money playing the bass, and I loved to play. My first job was with a small group that played popular music in a nightclub. I was playing written arrangements, mostly pizzicato, a little arco, but I could add a few notes in some places if I wanted to. This was at the start of the Great Depression, so pursuing a career in music was pretty risky. I was lucky that my parents didn't try to make me go into a field that was a safer bet. They let me find my own way. My father was the principal of the grammar school I attended, and he loved the Greek classics. That's how I got the name Homer.

What's the most embarrassing moment you've had as a performer?

I once began playing the wrong piece in a chamber music concert, but the memory is so painful, my mind's blotted out the details—I couldn't tell you the name of the piece! I didn't get far, but I was still afraid people would think I was a real dummkopf.

If you could have your students visit any place in the world, where would it be, and why?

New York City, because we have everything to offer right here.

What might people be surprised to know about you?

I love bathroom humor!

If you weren't in the career you are in, what would you be doing?

Playing tennis. I was a very good tennis player back in high school, and I won some tournaments in New Jersey. But tennis players didn't make the money then that they do now, so I decided to do something safer and play the bass.