Edgar Meyer (born November 24, 1960) is a prominent contemporary bassist. His styles include bluegrass, newgrass, jazz, and classical. Meyer has worked as a session musician in Nashville, part of various chamber groups, a composer, and an arranger.
Meyer grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He learned to play the double bass from his father, the late Edgar Meyer, Sr., who directed the string orchestra program for the local public school system. Meyer later went on to Indiana University to study with Stuart Sankey.
Meyer is noted for achieving virtuosity on an instrument of unusual technical difficulty. His skill has allowed him to perform difficult music originally composed for other instruments, as in his recordings of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites. Meyer frequently records and performs with other outstanding artists, including: Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, James Taylor, Jerry Douglas, Mike Marshall, Mark O'Connor, Alison Krauss and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Meyer has also composed a number of works that break the traditional mold of classical music, including two double bass concertos, a double concerto for bass and cello, and a violin concerto composed specifically for Hilary Hahn.
His collaborations have been nominated for, and awarded, several Grammys. In 2002, he was named a MacArthur Fellow.
On Meyer's self-titled 2006 Sony Classical release, he performs accompanied only by himself on a wide variety of instruments besides his usual piano and double bass, including guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin and dobro.
Extract from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Meyer