BIO

Part, Present and Future

      Charles Buonasera started his musical career at the age of 14 when he got his first electric bass.  He began playing upright bass at the age of 16 and participated in jazz ensembles, orchestras, marching bands, and pits for the school plays.  During this time he studied with a Long Island legend and student of Jaco Pastorios, Mike Frost.  During high school he also had played with local bands.  Charles played in the Tri-State area opening for bands such as Skid Row and Kings X.  Right out of high school Charles toured Eastern Europe with the Long Island Youth Orchestra performing in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, The Republic of Georgia and Ukraine.  

    After high school Charles studied music at schools such as Hofstra University, SCCC, Molly College , Stonybrook,  Aaron Copland School of Music, and receiving a BA in Music Education from Five Towns College.  During this time Charles has performed in more than 65 musicals from Long Island to New York City with Musician Union  #802.  He’s performed at places such as, Airport playhouse, Gateway playhouse, Symphony Space, Sag Harbor, and Downtown Brooklyn.  Some of these musicals were premiers.   He’s also played in jazz groups, rock groups, cover bands all over the Tri-State area, Nashville, Memphis Tennessee, and New Orleans. His studio work is still played on radio stations such as WSOU Street Patrol.  During this time he has also played for the Dvorak society in Manhattan.  Charles also served as a reservist in the Marine Corps infantry with the 2/25 out of Garden City.  

    After college he has performed with  the Sound Symphony in Long Island and was the section leader and board member for the Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts  (BAFFA) Orchestra.  He has also taught strings 15 years.  He currently has been teaching music in the public school system on Long Island and now the New York City School System.  He teaches privately, as well as The Suffolk Music Center in Patchougue and at Musicology in Smithtown where he’s the director of the jazz and the classical string quartet.  He currently maintains a studio of 50 plus students and has students participating in SCMEA and LISFA as well as had student perform in NAM in California.  

    Charles Buonasera currently performs with High Note who’s attached with Island Exclusive, Clover Curfew, and Phil Firetog trio.  He intends to obtain his masters in Performance in Jazz and Commercial Music.  You can look up Charles Buonasera on Facebook, instagram and the web at Charles Buonasera Bassist.