Grammy Award winning bassist Geoffrey Saunders is a versatile performer and composer who is experienced in a wide range of styles and genres. This is what initially drew Geoff to the instrument; the opportunity to connect and collaborate with people all over the world through music and the bass. Originally from Simsbury, CT, Geoff has received degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM, Jazz Bass Performance) and the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami (MM, Jazz Pedagogy). He received his DMA in Jazz Studies at the Frost School in 2017, where he was a Teaching Assistant and member of the award-winning Concert Jazz Band. While at Frost, Geoff was a fellow at the Henry Mancini Institute where he worked closely and performed with such notable artists as Mark O’Connor, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Gloria Estefan, Steve Miller, Larry Rosen, Phil Ramone, Dave Grusin, Terence Blanchard, and James Newton Howard. Geoff can be heard on the CD/DVD PBS special Jazz & The Philharmonic featuring many of these artists. He can also be heard on the Grammy nominated recording of All My Tomorrows by arranger Jeremy Fox featuring Kate McGarry on the album With Love.
Currently he can be seen on tour with the O’Connor Band with Mark O’Connor who’s debut album Coming Home received a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2017. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Album charts and remained in the top ten for several weeks in 2016. Geoff has served as faculty member at the Mark O’Connor Method Camp for four years running. He also recorded on O’Connor’s America On Strings album featuring orchestral arrangements of popular American songs. Geoff is an active freelance bass player in Nashville and frequently collaborates with fiddlers Buddy Spicher and Billy Contreras on their project Billy & Buddy. Geoff has composed the score and performed in the multi-media piece Appalachian Squall by Shira Abergel which premiered at the Miami Light Project and was performed again at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. He also performed with the New World Symphony for the premier of Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind, composed and conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.