Heather Miller Lardin

study & mentorship

Who I work with... 

❖ Professional bassists seeking to broaden and apply their understanding of historical performance practice, whether on modern or period instruments.
❖ Emerging artists developing the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed in auditions for festivals and graduate programs, and in professional opportunities in early music.
❖ Serious undergraduate bassists who seeking guidance in historical performance exploration beyond the offerings of their degree program.

Everyone comes to historical performance from a modern background. For most bassists, modern and historical performance are not separate disciplines but complementary approaches that inform and enrich one another.

Recent students have gone on to study at leading conservatories, attend major early music festivals including Berwick Academy and Amherst Baroque Academy, receive scholarships from Early Music America, and perform with professional ensembles including the Handel + Haydn Society, Tafelmusik, North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, Brandywine Baroque, and others.

 

baroque bass studio class & mentorship

Starting in Fall 2026, I'm offering two new programs for bassists with a serious interest in historical performance practice.

Baroque Bass Studio Class meets twice a month from September through May. We work on repertoire together — some that I present, some from what participants are preparing for their own projects & recitals. Equipment and pitch are your choice. The schedule is designed to complement existing degree programs and professional commitments.

FREE CLASS: I'm offering a sample online class on July 1 at 11 AM EST: Bach BWV 1042 Adagio. It's a perfect example of the work we'll explore together in studio class. Open to all bassists. Register here for the free class. I'll send a detailed handout, score, and manuscript facsimile when you sign up.

Baroque Bass Mentorship is for those seeking more individualized guidance, and includes the Studio Class plus one 90-minute private lesson per month. I'm keeping this to two participants this year.

[Full details on both programs →]

next steps

I work with professional bassists, emerging artists, and serious undergraduate students on modern and period instruments. I also maintain a select private studio of young bassists and occasionally have openings for new students by referral.

Please reach out!

If you think we might be a good fit, I'd be happy to connect with you.

Heather-9698 (1 of 1).jpg
 
 

what my students are saying:

Working with Heather has really opened my eyes to new ways of looking at music and phrasing—and not just for Baroque works, but everything from Mozart to Mendelssohn and beyond.
— Dan Hudson, freelance double bassist
 
Working with Heather has been truly transformative for my playing, both as a performer of historic basses and as an informed and mindful contemporary orchestral player. Her ability to relate her academic research to technical and musical concepts not only taught me how to approach historically informed playing, but how to teach myself further as well.
— Adam Maloney, Northwestern University
Heather has opened my eyes and ears to new ways of playing music, she has strengthened my passion for music and given even more joy to playing the bass. Using Baroque and Classical techniques, each note is given meaning; each phrase carries you on a journey; what may have seemed static and dull in a piece before is now full of emotion. Heather makes music come to life in a way that I never imagined.
— Guinevere Conner, Temple University