Charles grew up in Riverside, CA. Eventually he decided to put down his Fender P-bass and take up the double bass, so he enrolled at San Francisco State University from 1997-2000, studying orchestral playing with Shinji Eshima of the the San Francisco Opera and jazz with Jeff Chambers. He then made his way to Indiana University, to study with noted professor Bruce Bransby, formerly Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After graduating with a Master's degree in 2003, Charles spent two years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He is proud to have been a member of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra since 2004, has also been a member of Madison Symphony, the Kalamazoo Symphony, and has performed with regional orchestras all over the upper Midwest. From 2006 to 2008 Charles served as Assistant Principal Bass of the Memphis Symphony. He has participated in the Aspen, National Repertory Orchestra, Spoleto USA, and Bachakademie Stuttgart summer music festivals, and has also played as an extra with the Milwaukee Symphony, the Ravina Festival Orchestra in Chicago, and the RTE National Symphony in Dublin, Ireland. Charles is grateful to the WCO for a year's leave during the 2009-10 season in which he spent time in Hong Kong, where he played as an extra with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Macao Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra.
