New Board Member: Luciano Vaz

Please welcome our newest ITEA board member, Luciano Vaz, who will be representing the South American continent. Luciano is Professor of Tuba at the Conservatory of Tatuí and Principal Tubist of the Tatuí Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band. He is a highly respected performer and teacher in Brazil, and the ITEA will be looking forward to his work.

Gail Robertson Performs with BSO

Dr. Gail Robertson recently joined tubist Mike Roylance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra to play the Pines of Rome for the opening concert of the season with new music director, Andris Nelsons, on September 27, 2014.

New Hire: Gail Robertson, UCA

Dr. Gail Robertson recently became the Visiting Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Her duties include teaching the tuba and euphonium studio, conducting the Jazz Ensemble II, and playing tuba in the faculty brass quintet, the Pinnacle Brass. Robertson earned her B.A. degree from the University of Central Florida and an M.M. in Euphonium Performance from Indiana University while serving as graduate assistant to Harvey Phillips. She postponed her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland with Dr. Brian Bowman to perform with the “Tubafours” at Walt Disney World, Orlando where she served as musical supervisor/chief arranger and produced a highly acclaimed CD, “Tubas Under the Boardwalk.” She has recently completed her D.M.A. as a University Distinguished Fellow at Michigan State University studying with Phil Sinder, Ava Ordman, and Ricardo Lorenz. She has taught on the faculties of Eastern Michigan University, the University of Central Florida, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Florida, and remains active as a teacher, adjudicator, composer, arranger and free-lance artist, both nationally and internationally. Robertson is the Chair/Chief Editor of the International Tuba and Euphonium Press, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Leonard Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Festival, the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA), and the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC). Robertson was recently awarded the 2014 Clifford Bevan Award for Excellence in Research for her document, “Restoring the Euphonium’s Legacy as Cello of the Wind Band.” Her original work for brass quintet, Tower Guard Tribute, was awarded honorable mention by the 2014 International Alliance for Women in Music’s Patsy Lu competition. Robertson's duo with Dr. Stacy Baker, SYMBIOSISDUO, will release their second CD, “Playground,” in January 2015. As a Willson Euphonium Artist, Robertson’s euphonium of choice is a Willson 2950TA with a Warburton/Gail Robertson mouthpiece.

Humboldt State University Chamber Music Composition Contest

The Humboldt State University Brass Chamber Music Workshop announces its twelfth annual composition contest. First Prize - $2000; Second Prize - $1000; Third Prize - $500. There are no application fees.

This years contest seeks original, previously unpublished, works for brass octet (3131): 3 trumpets (cornets, flugelhorns), horn (in F), 3 trombones (bass clef), and tuba. Bass trombone and/or euphonium may be used in place of one or more trombones.

All qualifying works will be played and judged by the Workshop coaching staff.

Winners’ works will be performed during the July 2015 Brass Chamber Music Workshop in Arcata, California. Amateur musicians will perform the music in a workshop format. Qualifying submissions will be added to the Workshop Library.

Contest particulars, including submission directions, qualifying guidelines, and tips for successful submissions can be found on the web by visiting http://www.humboldt.edu/brass/compcontest.html

Deadline for submissions is February 1, 2015.

Conference/Symposium on Musical Instrument Making

From November 7-9, the Kloster Michaelstein Foundation will present the 41st Academic Conference and 33rd Symposium on Musical Instrument Making in Blankenburg, Germany. The event will feature the topic "From the Serpent to the Tuba: Development and Use of Low Lip-Vibrated Wind Instruments with Holes and Valves." The artist in residence will be tubist and serpent expert Michel Godard. For more information, visit http://www2.kloster-michaelstein.de/de/news/news_14013.html

ITEA Elections

The time has come once again to hold elections for the position of Vice-President/President-Elect of ITEA. Marty Erickson, our most recently elected Vice- President, will assume the Presidency of the organization on July 1, 2015.

Deanna Swoboda is actively soliciting nominations for this position. If you have an idea of someone within the ITEA community who you believe would do an admirable job of leading the organization, please send her an e-mail nominating that person - deanna.swoboda@asu.edu

Nominations will be open until November 1, 2014. Once nominations have closed, the Nominations Committee will consider the names presented and contact the parties who have been nominated to gage their interest in serving. Once the committee has determined the interest of the nominees, it will present a slate of nominees that will be announced to the membership and voted upon via www.iteaonline.org.

Celebrate Brass! at University of Wisconsin-Madison

From October 8 to 13, the UW-Madison School of Music will present its first major brass festival in 32 years - a six-day exploration of the complex nature of brass music, from the delicate woven chords of trumpets and horns to the swagger and growl of the tuba and trombone.

The event will feature famed Norwegian solo tubist Øystein Baadsvik, the only tuba virtuoso to have carved out a career exclusively as a soloist, rather than becoming a member of an orchestra or accepting a teaching post. Baadsvik will be joined by hornist Jessica Valeri (BM, UW-Madison, 1997) of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Michigan’s Western Brass Quintet; UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Brass Quintet; renowned brass composer, trumpeter, and blogger Anthony Plog; and new UW-Madison faculty tubist Tom Curry.

The festival will include four separate concerts and master classes on each of four brass instruments (trumpet, trombone, horn, and tuba) plus a separate class on orchestral auditions with Valeri. There will also be multiple open rehearsals and two colloquium discussions - one with Anthony Plog and one with Oystein Baadsvik.

Celebrate Brass! is organized by UW trumpet professor John Aley, now in his 33rd year at the School. Aley was also involved with the first festival, which took place during his second year at UW-Madison. Aley is also principal trumpet of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet.)

The highlight concert of the week will be “Brass Alchemy,” a ticketed event, Saturday, October 11, at 8 PM in Mills Hall.

“Brass Alchemy” will feature a full contingent of soloists, guests, and students presenting dramatic and inspired works of John Williams, Morten Lauridsen, Juan Colomer, Ennio Morricone, Scott Hiltzik, Kevin Puts, Anthony DiLorenzo, and an original work of Baadsvik’s, Fnugg. School of Music professor Scott Teeple will conduct. Tickets for the general public are $25; UW-Madison music majors with ID are free; all other students (all ages, all schools), $10.00. Ticketing information: http://www.music.wisc.edu/about-us/tickets/

All other events are free. The School of Music thanks the Vilas Trust for its support. Visit http://www.music.wisc.edu/brass-festival/ for more information about the festival.