Originally from Carpentersville, IL, Jakob Gerritsen began studying the double bass at the age of 10 in the public school system. He completed his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University, earning a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a bachelor’s degree in Learning and Organizational Development. From there he went on to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he earned his master’s degree in music performance. His primary teachers include Timothy Shaffer, Andrew Raciti, and Scott Dixon. Following his master’s degree, he went on to perform as a fellow in the New World Symphony for two seasons.
In addition to performing with the North Carolina Symphony, Gerritsen has performed with orchestras around the United States and Europe. He served as tutti bass with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and has also appeared as a substitute with The Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to orchestral performance, Gerritsen loves to play chamber music and had the opportunity to take part in the premiere of Swedish composer Emmy Lindström’s string quintet Tales from the Caves alongside his colleagues in Stockholm. He likes to maintain an active lifestyle: hiking, swimming, biking, and rock climbing in his free time.
