We are heartbroken to to report that our kcbass longtime faculty member Dr. Jessica Valls has passed away suddenly. We had just had her at the kcbass workshop this past July.
Johnny Has sent this message to be read for all of us at her memorial.
On behalf of KCBass faculty, students, Volunteer helpers, and concert attendees I want to send a message of Love and celebration of our Dear kcbass faculty member Jessica Valls. The collective hearts of her bass family in KC go out to her family and friends during this time. We all are with you from Kansas City.
She gave all of us such a wonderful gift of teaching, performing and amazing supportive positivity every summer when she came to Kansas City for the past decade. I can’t tell you how many times after the workshop the students would mention something about her first out of so many other faculty. She did so much for so many of us and we all are lucky to have her in our hearts.
I first met her and mentioned I was always looking for qualified Female faculty members and she just showed up and never missed one of our events. I helped her and encouraged her to start a young bassists workshop which led to Austin Bass workshop that was done with great care for the youngest of bassists in Mind. This is that part that I want to shout out about Dr. Jess…She was a true champion of the student that needed the most encouragement. Jessica was an amazing performer of course but, it is rare to find someone so in tune with this aspect of having the power of performance and using it for the good of the young and inexperienced.
We are heartbroken that she was called away to the big concert hall in the sky so soon. We have her Laughter, positive comments and theatrical voice mixed with her amazing bass tone in our memory. We celebrate you Jessica everyday we play our bass. Vibrations are forever!
Bass Love-Johnny Hamil _Kcbassworkshop Administrator
Info on her memorial Service is below.
A visitation for Jessica Gilliam-Valls will be held Wednesday, September 17, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar, Austin, TX 78752, followed by a funeral service from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
For more info: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/…/jessica-gilliam-valls…
Double bassist Jessica Valls is an Austin, Texas-native musician who exemplifies the ubiquitous artistry of a true music lover, heeding to no one genre, discipline, or stage.
Performing regularly with several orchestras including the Austin and San Antonio Symphonies, Jessica is previous principal bassist for Orquestra da Rádio e Televisão Cultura in São Paulo, Brazil, and enjoys traveling to Brazil to perform and teach. She appears with chamber ensembles, jazz, tango and bluegrass bands, in studio recording sessions, on film soundtracks, television and radio jingles, and popular festival stages around the world such as The International Festival at Round Top and Encontro Brasileiro de Contrabaixos in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
Jessica is a regular guest artist and clinician at the North Texas Bass Camps, the Austin Chamber Music Workshop, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, and the Victoria Bach Festival, among others.
A repeat presenter at the International Society of Bassists Convention, Jessica’s solo performances can be multi-instrumental, vocal and percussive. The use of multi-media tools allows her to expand her repertoire and adhere to different performance venues; adding to the growing pool of new works for solo double bass.
Formal studies include Juilliard, Oberlin, The Manhattan School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin where she completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2010.
Currently Dr. Valls is on faculty at Southwestern University, Huston-Tillotson University, The Girls’ School of Austin and maintains a private studio of budding string players of all ages.
Double bassist Jessica Valls is an Austin, Texas-native musician who exemplifies the ubiquitous artistry of a true music lover, heeding to no one genre, discipline, or stage.
Performing with orchestras including the Austin and San Antonio Symphonies, Jessica appears with chamber ensembles, jazz, tango and bluegrass bands, in studio recording sessions, on film soundtracks, television and radio jingles, and popular festival stages around the world. She is currently on a repeat US tour with the Grammy award-winning choral group Conspirare.
Jessica is a regular performer and clinician at the North Texas Bass Camps, the Austin Chamber Music Workshop, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, and the Victoria Bach Festival and is the founder and director of The Austin Bass Workshop, now in its fifth year.
Jessica’s solo performances can be multi-instrumental, vocal and percussive. The use of multi-media tools allows her to expand her repertoire and adhere to different performance venues; adding to the growing pool of new works for solo double bass. Her free improvisations can elicit audible reactions from her audiences using humor and sometimes wild theatrics.
Dr. Valls teaches at Southwestern and Huston-Tillotson Universities, the Austin Community College and maintains a private studio of bass players of all ages.