'The Man - The Legend' is the second work that David Heyes has commissioned from me in memory of his teacher, František Pošta. In the first "The Transience of Life" I was inspired by the great loss to the international double bass world when he died, so in this second piece I was inspired by everything that he achieved in life, particularly his legacy to the double bass world.

How does a man become a legend? For this I looked for a main theme that sounded epic and somehow wanted to connect my two pieces dedicated to František, so this piece also has four parts, although written as one extended movement [Slow-Moderato-Slow-Moderato] with a single main theme that is developed throughout the whole piece.

'The Man - the Legend' is a piece where the performer can explore the lyrical possibilities of the double bass, harmonic passages alongside technical challenges also. [Simón García / January 2020]

The project, organised by David Heyes, brought together 18 bassists from eight countries (UK, USA, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Australia, Canada, Turkey) to share the commission fee.

Bassist and composer Simon Garcia was born in Mugardos (Spain) in 1977 and graduated in double bass from the Conservatorio Superior of Salamanca. He has worked as a double bassist in the Royal Orchestra of Galicia, having also performed in many orchestras throughout Spain, and is the bassist in the Symphony Wind Orchestra of A. Coruna. He has collaborated with many musicians and ensembles, particularly in the field of contemporary music, and has recorded and performed on many commercial recordings and for television and radio broadcasts.

Simon Garcia has composed more than thirty works for double bass, ranging from two to six players, alongside transcriptions of these pieces for various chamber ensembles. His music has been performed in Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Italy, Austria, Germany, Canada, USA and UK by The Bass Gang, Bass Instinct and Il Quint-etto amongst others, and some of his music was used as teaching material in the 2011 ISB Year of Collaborative Music.

Simon Garcia's music is lively, jazzy and rhythmic with great forward momentum and drive. Accessible for players and audiences alike, he writes colourful music of distinction and energy, employing the entire range of the double bass.