Starting with his first paying gig in the 9th grade in Otsego High School’s production of Oklahoma!, Charlie Tomlinson went on to play in the Saginaw Symphony Orchestra (principal bass), the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (principal bass), the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra (section bass), the Michigan Opera Theater (section bass) and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (regular substitute) among others until health issues necessitated a move to Boston in 1989. After three years of very little bass work and much waiting tables work, a vague yet insistent concept inspired a move to New York City where he founded, and for seven years served as artistic and executive director of Positive Music, an organization dedicated to providing to musicians and audiences affected by HIV a venue to explore the intricate and profound relationship that music creation and performance has with health and healing. While producing over 40 concerts with Positive Music, he also developed an active and varied freelance career playing and recording everything from baroque to world premieres in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Concert Hall to the Knitting Factory, Washington Square Church, and the New York City LGBT Community Center. Highlights included 10 years as principal bassist with the New York Chamber Ensemble and performing as a guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Thanks to the nurturing of teachers Amy Deemer (beloved director of the fifth-sixth grade string program at Angling Road Elementary), Lambert Kroon (first bass teacher of eight years), Jill Christian (piano) and Larry Hutchinson (string bass); the fine faculty of Portage Public Schools and Interlochen National Music Camp – and a fair bit of hard work – he was awarded a full merit scholarship to attend the University of Michigan School of Music where he earned a Bachelor of Music with Distinction (’85) and a Master of Music (’87) both in string bass performance studying with and serving as graduate teaching assistant to renowned string bass pedagogue Lawrence P. Hurst. In addition to often playing as principal bass of the University Symphony Orchestra and University Opera Orchestra, he held the bass chair of the Contemporary Directions Ensemble for five years working with composers such as Elliot Carter, George Crumb, Lou Harrison, Jacob Druckman, William Bolcom, and many others.
A native of Portage Michigan, Charlie Tomlinson began musical studies with a short-lived stint of piano lessons – started at his own insistence and stopped promptly after several vaguely remembered lessons ending in tears – at the age of seven. Picking up a string bass at age ten gratefully met with much more success, as did adding piano back to the mix at age 12.
After a degenerative connective tissue condition gradually ended his ability to perform professionally, Charlie moved back to Portage in 2008 where he currently lives with his dog Rex, works as Production Coordinator for Fontana Chamber Arts, and serves on the boards of directors of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Society, the Crescendo Academy of Music, and Wellspring/Cori Terry and Dancers.