Sean Michael Casey teaches and performs Double Bass throughout Western Washington after relocating to Tacoma in the summer of 2024. Sean studied with many of the world’s top bass performers and pedagogues, including Max Dimoff, Jeff Bradetich, and Catalin Rotaru, earning a Bachelors in Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music (2012), and a Masters of Music from Arizona State University (2014). Sean has a diverse musical background, performing early music as a member of the CIM/Case Baroque Orchestra, all the way to the other end of the spectrum as a member of the Arizona Contemporary Music Ensemble, premiering new works by local composers. In the Fall of 2014, Sean relocated to the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, spending ten years performing with many regional orchestras and building a large teaching studio. In the summer of 2024, Sean and his wife relocated to Washington to be nearer family, where he is rebuilding his teaching studio.
As a performer, Sean plays with Symphony Tacoma, as well as putting on solo recitals and masterclasses with students. Previously, he performed regularly as a member of the Allen Philharmonic and McKinney Philharmonic; additionally, he substituted often with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Past groups he has played with also include the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Garland Symphony, Arlington Symphony, Irving Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, and East Texas Symphony Orchestra. He performed solo recitals in North Texas during this time as well, and was a semi-finalist for the PRISMA Concerto competition in 2019.
Sean is an active bass teacher, recruiting new students to his studio in Tacoma, assisting local school orchestra directors in recruiting new bassists, and working on new publications. In 2021, Sean received The Foundation Award from The Foundation for Music Education, recognizing a career of exemplary music teaching, leadership, and passion for excellence in music. In 2024, Sean published his first bass method book, A Progressive Guide to Orchestral Excerpts, Volume 1, and is currently working on Volume 2 of the series. In 2025, Sean is chairing the inaugural International Society of Bassists Youth Orchestral Competition in Tallahassee, Florida. Sean previously maintained a large private studio in Allen, TX, producing numerous first-chair TMEA All-Region and All-State students. Students are active in youth orchestras throughout the area, including the Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra (DAAYO) and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO), and have won the DAAYO concerto competition in the past. Students have also attended a variety of summer festivals, such as Interlochen and Aspen. Currently, several students who have graduated from Sean’s studio are studying music performance at Juilliard and Baylor University. He also teaches masterclasses, including All-Region/All-State workshops, and studio class for the Baylor University bass studio.
Sean enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and off-roading in his spare time, as well as traveling with his wife, Marla, an elementary music teacher in Bethel School District.