Born in 2003, Dutch double bassist Sasha Witteveen has developed an early and notable presence on European stages, combining solo performance, chamber music, and orchestral activity at a remarkably young age. Her trajectory includes first prizes at the International Youth Bass Competition in Lucca, the British Double Bass Competition, the Princess Christina Competition and the Viennese Bass Days Competition, as well as a place in the finals of Dutch Classical Talent 2022/23, where she later toured major halls in the Netherlands with her project …Into the Light.
Early concerts and rise on Dutch stages
Witteveen made her first appearances in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw through Sweelinck Academie lunch concerts in 2016 and 2017. Since then, she has performed at venues including Het Concertgebouw, TivoliVredenburg, PHIL Haarlem, the Wiener Musikverein, the Melkweg Amsterdam and Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, and at festivals such as the Dutch Double Bass Festival, Grachtenfestival, Schiermonnikoog, Wonderfeel and Festival Classique.
Solo and ensemble activity
As a soloist, she has appeared with LUDWIG, the Residentie Orkest Den Haag, the CvA Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Youth String Orchestra, the Britten Youth String Orchestra, and the LGT Young Soloists, among others. Recent seasons also show an increasing presence in major European orchestras: Witteveen has performed with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouworkest, and is currently an academist with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Earlier, she was also an academist with both the Concertgebouworkest and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Since 2018, she has been part of the LGT Young Soloists, and previously performed with the European Union Youth Orchestra.
Upcoming engagements
Her calendar for 2026 includes a series of performances with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, as well as two concerts with the Royal Concertgebouworkest. Witteveen will also appear in chamber music programmes with colleagues from different European ensembles, continuing to expand her activity beyond the double bass solo repertoire.
Studies and artistic development
Witteveen completed her bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in 2023, studying with Olivier Thiery, Naomi Shaham and Burak Marlali, and is now pursuing further studies with Rick Stotijn at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. She has taken masterclasses with figures such as Božo Paradžik, Matthew McDonald, Wies de Boevé, Dominic Seldis, Gary Karr, Théotime Voisin, Ximo Riera and Nicholas Schwartz.
Projects and debut album
Her Dutch Classical Talent Tour, titled …Into the Light, included a new commission for double bass by Calliope Tsoupaki, and later became the basis for her debut album of the same name. The recording features works by Dmitri Smirnov, Xavier Dubois Foley, Sergei Rachmaninoff, David Anderson and Giovanni Bottesini, and explores a narrative arc from minor to major through contrasting emotional and musical landscapes.
Instruments
Witteveen performs on two instruments: a Florence-built double bass by Gasparo Piattellini (c. 1825), on loan from the Muziekinstrumentenfonds, and a 2021 instrument by Sergio Scaramelli, acquired through donations.
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