The rise of the tuba as a solo instrument:

Tracking the journey from oompahs to

recital halls

Likhona Tokota

2023

BMus Honours
Table of Contents
Table of Figures.....................................................................................................................................3
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................4
History of the Tuba................................................................................................................................5
Serpent...............................................................................................................................................5
Ophicleide.........................................................................................................................................6
The Valve..........................................................................................................................................6
The Incorporation of the Tuba in the Orchestra...................................................................................11
The T.U.B.A (ITEA)...........................................................................................................................12
Tuba Masters of the 20th and 21st Century.........................................................................................14
Arnold Jacobs (1915 – 1998)...........................................................................................................14
Harvey Phillips................................................................................................................................15
Velvet Brown..................................................................................................................................16
Avital Handler.................................................................................................................................17
Carol Jantsch...................................................................................................................................18
Øystein Baadsvik.............................................................................................................................19
A Brief History of the Solo Tuba.....................................................................................................20
Standard tuba Repertoire.................................................................................................................21
(To Be continued)............................................................................................................................21
Experimental Techniques....................................................................................................................22
Table of Figures

Figure 1: Serpent...................................................................................................................................5
Figure 2: Ophicleide...............................................................................................................................6
Figure 3: Stölzel and Blühmel’s 1818 valve design................................................................................7
Figure 4: Rotary Valve Design................................................................................................................7
Figure 5: Perinet valve design................................................................................................................8
Figure 6: Wieprecht Tuba......................................................................................................................9
Figure 7: Cerveny CC tuba...................................................................................................................10
Abstract

The tuba's solo repertoire expanded as a result of developments in the instrument's usage and
design, as well as instrument designers' experiments to the fullest extent possible. The tuba
was ultimately included into the regular orchestral instrumentation by composers, and the
first solo tuba compositions appeared in the late nineteenth century.

Tuba solo music was rare and undistinguished until the mid-20th century when mainstream
composers discovered its potential. With the help of professional advocates, the tuba
repertoire grew tremendously and collegiate tuba studios and organizations were formed.
Experimental techniques and technology expanded solo performance opportunities. Despite
its recent origin, the tuba and its repertoire have a rich history and is now accepted as a viable
solo instrument.

Key words: Tuba, experimental techniques, tubists, composer, manufacturer, evolution, solo
repertoire, tuba design.
History of the Tuba

The tuba family has undergone significant transformations in terms of overall mechanisms of
pitch alteration, resonant capabilities and form (design). These transformations allowed
experimentalism take place in terms of the incorporation of the instruments in various
settings with varying roles.

Serpent

The first predecessor of the tuba family is the serpent (fig.1), deriving its name from its
snakelike appearance. The invention of the serpent is
credited to Edmé Guillaime, a canon from Auxerre,
France, around 1590 (Adler-McKean, 2022). The
serpent is a bass instrument belonging to the cornett
family. It has six holes to change pitch and a conical
mouthpiece. The serpent is made out of conical tubes of
wood with a layer of leather covering it. To produce a
sound, it had a shallow cup mouthpiece, typically made
out of ivory and the sound production process1 was
similar to the one of the modern brass instruments. The
first serpent had six holes and expanded to fourteen
holes and a mechanism of keys was added. The serpent Figure 1: Serpent

was first found in churches as the supporting tenor and bass instrument in choirs and later it
was incorporated in marching bands and orchestral music (Childs, 2005). The serpent was
used in some significant composers works, in some cases playing alongside the Ophicleide,
the successor. The serpent can be found in Messe solennelle (1825) and Symphonie
Fantastique (1830) by Hector Berlioz, Royal Fireworks (1749) by Handel and Rienzi (1842)
by Wagner (Ron, 2014).

Ophicleide

The Ophicleide (fig. 2) was invented in 1817

and patented in 1821 by French instrument
maker, Jean Hilaire Asté (Ron, 2014). Its
1
invention came at a time when serpent manufacturers were experimenting with the
integration of wood and metal. It is a keyed brass instrument, pitched in C and B flat, with C
being the most common. It has eleven keys played with both hands on the right-hand side and
it is held like a bassoon. It uses a cone shaped mouthpiece to produce sound and the sound
production process is similar to the one of the modern-day brass instruments. By modern
standards, it sounds like a euphonium or a small F tuba, having a fuller sound and improved
intonation and because of these qualities the ophicleide replaced the serpent from most of its
roles. The ophicleide was used through most of the 19th century as a bass instrument in brass
bands, military bands and in orchestral music. The first known use of the Ophicleide was in
the orchestra and it was used as the lowest sounding instrument in the low brass section. The
ophicleide can be heard alongside the serpent in the orchestral piece, Symphonie Fantastique
by Hector Berlioz and many other works such as Mendelssohn’s Overture to a Midsummer
Nights Dream (1827) and Wagner’s operas such Rienzi (1840) (Palton, 2017).

The Valve

The invention of the valve was a crucial element that directly contributed to the development
of the tuba. Heinrich Stölzel (1777–1844) and Friedrich Blühmel (d. c. 1845) patented the
valve in 1818. The piston valve lengthened the tubing to the airway of the instrument,
causing a lowered pitch when the valves are compressed. Brass instruments were no longer
constrained to a single harmonic series as a result of this development. The airway in the
original design, which was occasionally restricted and prevented air from flowing freely,
increased resistance and decreased tone (Tidwell, 2023)
 Figure 3: Stölzel and Blühmel’s 1818 valve design

Several individuals made attempts to enhance the valve's design throughout the following
decades. Blühmel himself produced a remarkable design in 1828. The rotary valve name
refers to the fact that this design spun the valve rather than compressing it.
Another German inventor, Joseph Riedl (d. 1840), patented an updated design four years
later. This design would endure for decades and serve as the foundation for the contemporary
rotary valve (Tidwell, 2023)

Figure 4: Rotary Valve Design

The tone quality of brass instruments greatly improved with the smoothness of rotary valves;
however, these valves were less durable and more challenging to maintain than their piston
valve counterparts. As a result, the piston valve design by Stölzel and Blühmel remained
prevalent until 1835. It was then that German bandleader, Wilhelm Wieprecht, collaborated
with instrument maker Johann Moritz to create the Berliner-Pumpen valves. This new design
combined the efficiency of rotary valves with the maintainability of piston valves resulting in
a significant improvement. French instrument maker Étienne Périnet adjusted this model to a
slimmer design while still maintaining efficiency – creating the “Périnet valve.” This design
maximized valve efficiency, creating brass instruments that were chromatic and even-toned,
laying the groundwork for future developments (Tidwell, 2023).

Figure 5: Perinet valve design

Invention and the Development of the Tuba

After the invention of the new valves, instrument makers worked to apply these valves on
low brass instruments, but success was not instant as they tried applying small bore valves
into large bored instruments. Many instrument makers were interested in taking on this
challenge, but the band master of the Prussian military band called William Wieprecht was
the first to succeed in inventing a functioning low brass instrument with valves. On
September 12, 1825, William Wieprecht and an instrument maker from Berlin called Johann
Moritz took out a Prussian patent for the first valved low brass instrument called the tuba.
The Wieprecht tuba was pitched in F, containing Berlin-Pumpen valves, two on the left and
three on the right-hand side (Palton, 2017).

Figure 6: Wieprecht Tuba

Adolphe Sax (1814-1894) moved from Brussels to Paris in 1842, he was interested in
marketing systems of instruments from Soprano to Contrabass, this interest lead to the
invention of instruments called saxhorns. His interested led to other inventions such as the E
flat alto horn which is referred today as the English tenor horn, next was the B flat baritone.
After the B flat baritone was the E flat contrabass tuba and the last version of the contrabass
tuba was B flat contrabass tuba. In 1845, Vaclav Cerveny of Bohemia invented the contrabass
in BB flat and CC also known as Kaiser tubas, an instrument he claims was the prototype to
all the tuba brands. These horns were equipped front-action2 rotor valves.

Figure 7: Cerveny CC tuba

The huge leap in technical abilities and musicianship that tuba players have had in the 20th
century would have not been possible without manufacturers, innovative designers and
distributor. The greatest contributors to the development of the tuba include Wilson Company
(1955), having worked with tubist Marty Erickson, resulted in improvements in their CC, E
flat and F tubas. Fritz Hirsbrunner (1894-1983) experimented with tubas and his son Peter
Arnold Hirsbrunner (1925) developed the first automatic compensation system for rotor
valves. Meinl family company, continues to distribute a quality line of tubas ranging from
CC, BB flat, E flat and F tubas and remain the choice of many professional tuba players
(Palton, 2017). Boosey & Co, Hawkes & Son, now known as Boosey & Hawkes merged after
World War II and their greatest contribution was the compensating pistons of which Besson
& Co adopted (Myers, 2003).

2
The Incorporation of the Tuba in the Orchestra

The development of the tuba resulted in earning a permanent spot in the modern orchestra,
brass, wind ensemble and brass chamber ensembles. The whirlpool of experimentation and
modification of the tuba led to the invention of the tuba in various keys, namely CC, BB flat,
E flat and F tuba.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was the first orchestral composer who incorporated the tuba in
his music. During his tour in 1843, he came across a German military band that had a tuba,
and impressed by its capabilities, he immediately started incorporating it into his own
compositions. Berlioz was offered a bass tuba as a substitute during a performance, and he
spoke highly of the instrument, describing it as magnificent. In his orchestration of The
Damnation of Faust (1846), he switched to the bass tuba rather than the ophicleide, and he
praised its "noble," "full," and "vibrant" tone. His work, Symphonie Fantastique (1830), was
also edited to include tubas instead of ophicleides, where the tuba was utilized in both
harmonic and melodic roles. Extracts from Berlioz's orchestral works continue to be an
essential part of the tuba's repertoire, often used during auditions and practice sessions.
Richard Wagner, a renowned composer, was quick to incorporate the tuba into his works as it
gained popularity in the military bands of central Europe. In fact, he used the tuba in one of
his earliest operatic works, The Flying Dutchman, less than ten years after its invention.
During the mid-19th century, orchestral writing for the tuba involved a bass tuba in F, similar
to its original design. However, in 1853, Wagner specified the use of a contrabass tuba in his
extensive work, Das Rheingold. He believed that expanding the tonal resources of the
orchestra required both the redeployment of existing instruments and the creation of new
ones. In his famous opera, Die Meistersinger, Wagner used the tuba to create one of the most
prominent tuba passages in orchestral repertoire (Tidwell, 2023).

In his work "On Some Causes of the Changes of Tone Colour Proceeding in the Most
Modern Orchestra," Charles MacLean delves into the topic of instrumentation and offers a
thorough analysis of each individual instrument in the orchestra. He not only describes the
characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of each instrument but also discusses its practical
use within its section. MacLean regards the "Bass-Tuba" as a reliable foundation for the brass
group and notes its ability to cover the French horn on weaker lower notes within their
section. However, it is important to note that the tuba's timbre is most effective in softer
dynamics as the tone qualities are less consistent with the horns at higher dynamic levels.
Additionally, MacLean notes that the tuba can function as an independent bassline for other
sections in the orchestra, not just for the brass section (Taylor, 2013).

The article written by Roger Bobo in 1961 titled Tuba: A Word of Many Meanings offers
insights from the standpoint of a professional orchestral tuba player on various subjects, such
as using multiple tubas. Bobo recommends selecting the appropriate type of instrument based
on the context of the repertoire being played, such as opting for F or small French C tubas for
ophicleide parts or French music due to their narrower bore and smaller length that produces
a lighter sound ideal for such music. He suggests using a Large CC tuba for works involving
a larger orchestra or loud-and-low playing and an in-between-sized tuba for works requiring a
lighter sound and boosting the bass and brass sections when needed, specifically a ‘small-
bore CC-tuba.’ Bobo examines the interpretation of ‘tuba’ in orchestral scoring, particularly
the use of ‘bass-tuba’ referring to the F tuba and ‘contrabass-tuba’ referring to the CC tuba,
and analyses Tchaikovsky’s employment of different instruments in his compositions by
comparing the tuba parts of his fourth and sixth symphonies, highlighting noticeable
differences between the way each instrument is used. For instance, the music of the fourth is
better suited for a larger CC-type instrument while the softer tuba part of the sixth, which
goes down to 3ppppp in dynamic level, is more suitable for a smaller F-type instrument
(Taylor, 2013).

In standard symphonic orchestra performances, the tuba is rarely utilised in the whole
concert, it either plays in the overture and symphony depending on the compositions played
that evening and it sometimes plays in the concerto if it is included in the orchestration
(Bower, 2008).

The T.U.B.A (ITEA)

In the 1971, an organisation for tuba players called T.U.B.A (Tuba Universal Brotherhood
Association) was founded by Robert Ryker of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, with J.
Lesley Varner and Winston Morris as co-founders. This organisation received great support
from prominent tuba players of that time and received funding from brands such as Conn and
Miraphone, which were and still are one of the most important instrument makers. Harvey
Philips, Arnold Jacobs and William Bell were declared honorary members of the first

3
Symposium. The primary goal of the first workshop was to reach out to composers and
facilitate new works for tuba and an estimate of 150 works derived from the effort, of which
27 of the new works were commissioned.

One of the aims of the association was to facilitate new works but the association also aims to
expand employment and performance opportunities, enhance the image and role of the tuba
and tubists, to explore different pedagogical approaches, to promote new instrument designs
and explore techniques (Pérez, 2017).

The shared progress among tuba players would be evident in their repertoire, including
Edward Gregson's Tuba Concerto, written in 1976. Although initially created for solo tuba
and wind band, rather than an orchestra, the piece quickly became a popular choice. It was
commissioned for John Fletcher, who was the principal tubist of the London Symphony
Orchestra. The concerto exhibits challenging technical and melodic elements, showcasing the
performers' exceptional abilities through extended sections in the upper range. As the
community of tubists grew, more solo music emerged, featuring experimental and alternative
playing techniques that became increasingly popular. Early techniques involved playing in
the extreme low register or combining the instrument's drastic ranges with large intervals.
Other experimental techniques included flutter tonguing, half-valving, and multiphonics.
Other techniques such as indeterminate pitch notation and aleatoric music provide performers
with further artistic liberties by leaving certain aspects of the music up to their own choice or
chance (Tidwell, 2023).

In 2000, association changed the title from T.U.B.A to the “International Tuba Euphonium
Association (ITEA)”. The change to the name brought about other changes such as the
inclusion of the euphonium and have a name that is also inclusive to female tuba and
euphonium players (Pérez, 2017).
Tuba Masters of the 20th and 21st Century

Arnold Jacobs (1915 – 1998)

Arnold Jacobs was an American professional tuba player, having played for the Pittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra where he remained the principal tuba player for four decades. Jacobs was well
known as a brass pedagogue and teacher of all instruments (Smith, 2018). Born from a
musical family, he attributes his mother's inspiration for music to her. He spent a significant
portion of his life moving from the bugle to the trumpet to the trombone and then the tuba.
He received a scholarship when he was fifteen and enrolled in Philadelphia's Curtis Institute
of Music, where he proceeded to major in tuba. He spent two seasons playing in the
Indianapolis Symphony under Fabien Sevitzky following his graduation from Curtis in 1936.
He played the tuba for the Pittsburgh Symphony under Fritz Reiner from 1939 through to
1944. Along with Leopold Stokowski and the All-American Youth Orchestra, Mr. Jacobs
toured America in 1941. He joined the Chicago Symphony in 1944 and remained a member
until his retirement in 1988 (Drobnakbrass, n.d).

Mr. Jacobs took a brief leave of absence in the spring of 1949 to tour Scotland and England
with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In the early 1960s, he served as a faculty member at the
Western State College Music Camp in Gunnison, Colorado. He earned the distinction of
being the first tuba player to be asked to perform at the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico in June
1962. Mr. Jacobs participated in the renowned 1968 recording of Gabrieli's music with
musicians from the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, along with other CSO colleagues.
Additionally, he was a founding member of the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet, had
several solo performances with the CSO, and recorded the Vaughan Williams Concerto for
Bass Tuba. Mr. Jacobs had a reputation for being an excellent instructor and performer. In his
own studio, he taught all wind instruments in addition to the tuba at Northwestern University.
He was a highly sought-after educator who focused in vocal, brass, and woodwind instrument
respiratory and motivational techniques. Many of his former pupils now work as professors at
universities and in orchestras throughout the globe (Drobnakbrass, n.d).
Harvey Phillips

Harvey Phillips was born into a farming family in Aurora, Missouri on December 2, 1929. He
was the youngest of 10 siblings and the family frequently moved around. Eventually, he
attended high school in Marionville, Missouri. After completing his education, Phillips found
a temporary job playing the tuba for the King Bros. Circus. He planned on attending the
University of Missouri but was distracted by an offer to join the renowned Ringling Brothers
and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a tuba player, which he accepted. This was the most
distinguished circus band in existence (Wakin, 2010).

During a circus trip in New York, Mr. Phillips made acquaintances with William Bell, the
tuba player from the New York Philharmonic, and played duets with the noisy pipes in his
hotel room. Afterward, Mr. Bell facilitated his studies at the Juilliard School and became his
mentor. Following two years spent at the United States Army Field Band in Washington, Mr.
Phillips pursued various opportunities as a successful freelancer in New York where he
frequently performed with the New York City Opera and New York City Ballet orchestras,
recorded music, and made broadcasts. In 1954, he co-founded the New York Brass Quintet,
which was an uncommon combination at the time, but later gained popularity and created
more opportunities for tuba players. As a result, brass players on university faculties were
able to form groups with a tubist partner, leading to more tuba professors and students
(Wakin, 2010).

Roger Bobo (1938-2023)

Roger Bobo was amongst the most widely known tubist of the second half of the 20th century
and early 21st Century. Bobo was among the first tuba players to present a solo recital and not
just in any hall, but Carnegie Hall in the 1960’s and he was the most influential tubist of the
time with the recording of his first album called “Roger Bobo Plays Tuba”. Bobo performed
with numerous orchestras as the principal tubists, he was the principal tubist of the Rochester
Philharmonic from 1956 till 1962, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1962 till 1964
and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra from 1964 till 1989. Upon his retirement from
playing, he worked as a conductor and educator in Japan, Europe and most recently in
Mexico (Young, n.d).
Bobo’s first brass instrument was the cornet of which he started playing at the age of six. A
few years later while on tour with his district high school band facilities Bobo saw a
sousaphone on display and tried it out and made the switch from trumpet to tuba then. In high
school Bobo met Peter Christ, who was the oboist of the Peter Meremblum California Junior
Symphony. Peter Christ was the founder of the Crystal Records, which was an important
American recording company with whom Bobo recorded his studio solo albums. During his
first year at the Eastman School of Music in 1956, Bobo won a position with the Rocheser
Philharmonic orchestra at the age of 19. In 1961, Bobo performed the first tuba recital at
Carnegie Recital Hall, which generated positive reviews in the New York Times concert
reviews headlines. Few years later, Bobo was invited to Paris by Zubin Mehta to audition for
the principal tuba chair with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1964. Upon his
returned he was to his hometown of Los Angeles, he remained principal tubist of the Los
Angeles Philharmonic orchestra for 25 years (Drobnakbrass, n.d).

Bobo was the greatest influencer of the increase of tuba solo repertoire; with more than fifty
solo works dedicated or written for him. He has premiered most of numerous pieces still used
in tuba syllabi, these pieces include Encounters II by William Kraft, The Liberation of
Sisyphus by John Stevens, Variations in Olden Style by Thomas Stevens, Three Miniatures
by Anthony Plog and Capriccio for Solo Tuba by Krzysstof Pendercki and this pieces is
considered one of the most technically demanding piece till date (Discog, n.d).

Velvet Brown

Velvet Brown is a professional tuba and euphonium player. Brown enjoys a career as
professor, orchestral player, chamber ensemble player, international soloist recording artist
and conductor. Brown has taught and performed in Italy, Austria, Germany, Finland, France,
England, Slovenia, Cuba, Hungary, Russian, the United States and Japan. She served as
principal tubist of the River City Brass band and an honorary guest principal with the Lahti
Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland. Brown is also a substitute tubist with the Detroit
Symphony, San Francisco Women’s Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic and
the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Brown is currently the principal tubist of the New
Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra.

As a conductor Brown has served as guest conductor for festivals in the United States and
abroad in Kentucky, Slovenia, Maine, Canada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Indiana,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Italy. As a chamber tubist, she serves as the founder and member of
the Stiletto Brass Quintet, Monarch Brass Quintet and Monarch Brass Ensemble, the Quintet
of Americas and the Pennsylvania Brassworks. As a soloist she has released four solo CD’s
and collaborated as a soloist and ensemble member with the Stiletto Brass Quintet featuring
Doc Severinsen on trumpet, Howard Johnson and Gravity as lead tubist and solo tubist with
the Cleveland Jazz Ensemble directed by Paul Ferguson.

Brown enjoys classical, jazz and commercial music and has worked closely with artists such
as Howard Johnson, Bob Stewart and Doc Severinsen, these encounters inspired her to
explore new territories in her music career. She was then inspired to be a co-founder of
MOJATUBA, a tuba and dance project the Howard Johnson’s “Gravity” Tuba Jazz
Ensemble.

Avital Handler

Avital Handler is an Israeli tubist, who has been the principal tubist of the Israel Symphony
Orchestra, which is the resident orchestra of the Israel Opera since 2001. Ms. Handler
performed with the Opera in several nations, including Finland, Germany, Italy, and others.
Ms. Handler is a member of the faculty of the Levinsky College of Education, the Israel
Conservatory of Music, and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She has also been
active in the Israel Brass Chamber scene for 15 years as a member and founder of the Israel
Brass Quintet and also the Founder of the Israel Tuba duo. She has brought leading tuba
soloists from all over the world (Roger Bobo, Oren Marshall, Beth Mitchell) to Israel for
concerts and masterclasses. In addition, she has performed at the prestigious Bashkirova
chamber music festival in Jerusalem. Ms. Handler released her first solo CD "Tuba in the
City" in 2014, which was a huge success both nationally and internationally. She has released
a CD "Tubalicious" with the duo Israel Tuba and she is currently recording a new CD with
the duo (Handler, n.d).
As a soloist, she has performed with the Rishon Legion Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra,
Holon Bama Orchestra, Tel Aviv Soloist Ensemble and Ariel Chamber Orchestra.
Additionally, Handler has performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech
Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Raanana Symphonette, and the PMF Festival Orchestra.
Handler served in the prestigious Israeli Army Music Corps. Ms. Handler is internationally
and nationally known and has won awards at various festivals. Additionally, as a member of
the Israel Brass Quintet, Ms. Handler won several awards at the prestigious Jewish Music
Festival in Holland. Handler has received numerous grants from the Israel-American Cultural
Foundation, the New York City Arts Foundation, and full scholarships for her two graduate
degrees (Handler, n.d).

Carol Jantsch

Raised in a musical family, Ms Jantsch began taking piano lessons at the age of six and the
euphonium at the Interlochen Arts Camp at the age of nine. She later switched to tuba and
attended the Interlochen Academy of Arts, and graduated with the second highest position in
her class. She continued her studies at the University of Michigan under the guidance of Fritz
Kaenzig. After she won a position with the Philadelphia Orchestra in her senior year and
becoming the first female tubists in a major orchestra, she returned to Michigan to complete
her Bachelors of Music, which she graduated with honours.

In addition to her duties with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms Jantsch is a tuba soloist. She
regularly plays recitals and appears as a soloist with various ensembles, including the
Philadelphia Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Symphony
Orchestra of Russia, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and the United States Marine
Corps Orchestra.

Ms. Jantsch is an advocate for music education in her community. In 2018, she founded
Tubas For Good, non-profit that provides musical instruments to students in the Philadelphia
School District. Ms. Jantsch coaches the district's music students through Tubas For Good
and through the Philadelphia Orchestra's All-City program. Since 2017, it has hosted an
annual free community event where euphonium and tuba players of all ages and skill levels
are invited to perform as mass tuba ensembles on the Verizon Hall stage.
Ms. Jantsch enjoys interacting with the audiences in a very different way from her orchestral
role as a member of Tubular, a tuba cover band comprising of tuba, euphonium, drums, and
vocals. Tubular is committed to presenting pop and rock music in a fun and engaging way,
while artistically expanding people's perception of the possibilities of low brass instruments.
As Tubular's lead arranger, Ms. Jantsch took on the challenge of adapting ABBA's music to
Zeppelin for this unique setting (Hopman, 2020).
Ms. Jantsch has played in numerous Philadelphia Orchestra recordings, including the 2010
recording of the Ewald Quintets no. 1 and 3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra principal brass.
In 2009, she released her first solo album, Cascades. In 2013 she premiered a tuba concerto
written for her and the Temple University Symphony by Grammy Award-winning composer
Michael Daugherty called Reflections on the Mississippi. In 2015 she performed the concerto
with the Philadelphia Orchestra and in 2016 it was recorded by the Albany symphony
orchestra and the University of Michigan symphonic band (Hopman, 2020).

Øystein Baadsvik

Born in Trondheim, Norway, Øystein Baadsvik earned his international reputation in 1991
when he was awarded two prizes at the prestigious Concours International d’Exécution
Musicale in Geneva, Switzerland. His extraordinary musicality and virtuoso technique as a
tuba soloist, chamber musician and recording artist enabled him to have a career that has
taken him around the world. In 1991, Øystein was recognized by the Norwegian state and
awarded a two-year scholarship to support his career. In 2006 he made his Carnegie Hall
recital debut, performing works included on his CD, Danzas, on the BIS label. Baadsvik is
sought after world-wide and has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras such as the
Bergen Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the
Taipei National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra
Victoria of Melbourne, Warsaw Philharmonic, Polish Radio Orchestra, Gdansk
Philharmonic, Sweden’s Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
and the Singapore Philharmonic. Mr Baadsvik has premiered more than 50 solo works by
composers and has also expanded the tuba repertoire with his own compositions. He gave the
first TEDx Talk in 2007 about the tuba. Baadsvik works constantly to expand the boundaries
of the tuba, premiering solo repertoire and playing existing tuba , chamber music, and
collaborating with jazz and rock musicians. His developments of new techniques for tuba
have been used in a number of recent compositions.
A Brief History of the Solo Tuba

The tuba's technological development was mostly finished when music for solo tuba began to
be written. The initial solo tuba compositions date back to the late 1800s with T.H.
Rollinson's "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep" arranged for solo tuba in 1881. Paul
Hindemith's "Sonata for Bass Tuba and Piano," created in 1955, is generally considered the
earliest serious solo piece for tuba, although there are other notable solo tuba compositions
preceding it. Zoltán Gárdonyi's "Sonata for Tuba and Piano" was composed between 1948 to
1951, and Alexander Tcherepnin's "Andante for Tuba or Bass Trombone" was written in
1939. Hindemith's Sonata is still considered by many as the pioneering work for this
instrument. It is commonly believed that Ralph Vaughan Williams was the first composer to
wrire a concerto for tuba, but this is not entirely true; Alexei Lebedev published his Concerto
No.1 in 1947. Nevertheless, Vaughan Williams' Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra, composed
in 1954, is still widely considered to be the first concerto for solo tuba. The London
Symphony Orchestra performed the piece in London shortly after its completion, and the
soloist, Philip Catalinet, gained some notoriety in London's music world as a result of his
performance.

In addition to solo tuba pieces, the repertoire for this instrument has expanded to include
various ensemble and chamber settings. Modern tuba players get to play in multiple settings
including wind ensemble, symphony orchestra, brass choir, jazz big band, and different types
of small combos. The tuba can be seen in numerous compositions being accompanied by the
piano, cello, harpsichord, organ electronics and jazz combos. These experiences demonstrate
that being a skilled tuba performer requires adaptability to the demands of different repertoire
(Larson, 2013). It took 46 years after the invention of the tuba in 1835 for it to be featured in
a solo role in the earliest known composition in 1881. However, it wasn't until 1939 that a
serious composition for the solo tuba was written, as it mainly performed transcriptions or
portrayed large land animals before that time. This resulted in a gap of 104 years before any
substantial solo repertoire was created for the tuba. Unaccompanied pieces also came later,
with the first published in 1963 called Serenade no.12 for solo tuba, marking a gap of 128
years from the invention of the instrument. Once the tuba had secured a place in ensemble
and solo repertoire, the next logical step was to explore experimental performance
techniques.

(To be Continued)
Standard tuba Repertoire
(To Be continued)
Experimental Techniques

Just like any other experiment, the tuba "experiment" has a set of guidelines and outcomes to
follow. Extended techniques refer to unconventional ways of producing sound by brass
players, also known as contemporary, avant-garde, or twentieth century techniques. These
sounds are not created through traditional methods of tone production. The Contemporary
Tuba is an early collection of extended techniques for tuba, and more recent sources such as
dissertations by Kennedy, Casey, and Hynds provide comprehensive information on current
techniques, their effects, production methods, and notation. Knowledge of these techniques is
crucial for a well-rounded tuba player to master the standard repertoire and teach others.
Examples of common extended techniques in tuba repertoire include multiphonics, the
glissando, flutter tongue, wind sounds, pitch bends, and sympathetic vibrations.

(To Be Continued)
Information links

http://www.davechilds.com/reviews-and-articles/article=the-history
https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/631169/1/Thesis_-
_Tubas__Tubists__and_Composers__with_front_cover___Jack_Adler-McKean_.pdf
https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/26358/1/Thesis.pdf
https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1927&context=gradschool_dissertations
https://europe.yamaha.com/en/artists/s/sergio_carolino_.html
https://www.caroljantsch.com/
http://www.kennethamis.com/
http://www.jonsass.com/index.php
https://theoncross.com/
https://velvetuba.com/bio

In the orchestra tuba players have to use different tubas depending on the composition being
played, the players technical abilities and the whereabouts of the tuba player. American
orchestral tuba players tend to use CC tubas often, BB flat tubas for selective compositions
and the F tuba for works that visits the extreme high register such as the solo for tuba in
Bydlo from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky and orchestrated by Maurice
Ravel. John Fletcher mentions in a lecture he gave at the 1984 TUBA (Tuba United
Brotherhood Association) conference that English tuba players use the CC tuba for most
works, BB flat tuba and E flat tuba and different parts of Europe prefer the BB flat tuba and
the F tuba. In an orchestra performance tuba players sometimes use more than one instrument
and multiple mouthpieces to achieve the required sound for the repertoire. According to
Charles MacLean (1895), the tuba is a “trustworthy foundation to the brass group” and
believes it is not only the bass instrument of the brass section but also functions as a bass line
for other sections in the orchestra (Taylor, 2013).