Douglas Nestler

DOUGLAS NESTLER earned degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, and also attended the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying the double bass. He has been a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival. In 2008, he played with the orchestra for the Amazonas Festival de Opera in Manaus, Brazil. From 2009-2011, he was a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and was a contracted member of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra until 2016. During a year in Indianapolis, he was a frequent guest performer with the Indianapolis Symphony and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and joined the surviving members of The Who during their “Movin’ On” tour. 

Doug and his wife Jemma Kang called Cincinnati home for seven years. In that area, he played with the Dayton Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Community Orchestra, including as the soloist in the Koussevitsky Concerto. Since following Jemma’s medical career to the Triangle in May 2025, Doug won an audition for a contract with the Durham Symphony, and has played with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. During the 2026-27 season, he will also play with the Carolina Philharmonic.

As a teacher, Doug has taken two books of Suzuki bass teacher training, and enjoys using a combination of the Suzuki progression and other repertoire with students ranging in age from 10-75. His former students have gone on to major in music at Vanderbilt University, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

"Doug is an exceptional teacher. He has a kind personality and a clear ability to help students develop the technical skills needed to play confidently. His approach to teaching is fantastic: he sets high standards for technique while also recognizing and complimenting what students do well in performance.” – former student