The tuba has been played since the mid-19th century, in the midst of the Romantic period of Western Classical music. Along with classical music, the instrument appears in a variety of jazz styles as well film and circus music. Most professional tubists are tied to ensembles such as symphony orchestras and bands—including brass, concert and Jazz bands—or academic institutions. A smaller minority spend their careers as solo or chamber musicians.
Among the instrument's notable classical performers are William Bell, John Fletcher, Arnold Jacobs and Harvey Phillips. Noted Jazz players include Don Butterfield, Howard Johnson and Michel Godard.[1] Accomplished soloist and chamber musicians include James Gourlay, Øystein Baadsvik, Velvet Brown and August Schieldrop. Tubists who played primarily for film scores are John Van Houten, Tommy Johnson and Jim Self.
| + List of tuba players | ||||||
| Image | Name | Lifetime | Nationality | Genre | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter English | 1867–1916 | American | Circus | Played in various bands[2] | ||
| William Bell | 1902–1971 | American | Classical | The leading player and teacher of the early 20th century. Played in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sousa Band, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, NBC Symphony Orchestra.[3] | ||
| Min Leibrook | 1903–1943 | American | Jazz | Played with The Wolverines, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Bix Beiderbecke and Lennie Hayton.[4] | ||
| Squire Gersh | 1913–1983 | American | Jazz | Also a double bassist, played with Lu Watters, Bob Scobey, Turk Murphy, and Mutt Carey and Louis Armstrong, among others[5] | ||
| Arnold Jacobs | 1915–1998 | American | Classical | A leading player and teacher of the 20th century. Principal tubist with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra[6] | ||
| Red Callender | 1916–1992 | American | Jazz | Performed with an "unusual fluency and mobility". Played with Louis Armstrong, Lester and Lee Young, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Julia Lee, Art Tatum, Stuff Smith, Buddy Collette, James Newton, Gerry Wiggins, John Carter and B. Bumble and the Stingers[7] | ||
| Don Butterfield | 1923–2006 | American | Jazz | Leading Jazz musician of his time; had a uniquely florid playing ability and added considerable nuance to basslines. Member of the Radio City Music Hall orchestra. Performed with Charles Mingus, Teo Macero, Teddy Charles, Bill Evans and The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra[8] [9] | ||
| Harvey Phillips | 1929–2010 | American | Classical | A leading player and teacher of the 20th century. Founded the New York Brass Quintet[10] [11] [12] | ||
| Constance Weldon | 1932–2020 | American | Classical | First female professional tubist[13] | ||
| Dietrich Unkrodt | 1934–2006 | German | Various | Principal tubist of the Komische Oper Berlin (1960s–2000). Played in jazz duos with Hannes Zerbe[14] | ||
| Ronald Bishop | 1934–2013 | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Cleveland Orchestra (1967–2005). Taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory and Baldwin Wallace University[15] [16] | ||
| Everett M. Gilmore | 1935–2005 | American | Classical | Former principal tubist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (1965–95). Taught at University of North Texas College of Music and Southern Methodist University[17] [18] | ||
| Tommy Johnson | 1935–2006 | American | Film | Taught privately at The University of Southern California and at The University of California, Los Angeles; performed in over 2,000 film scores[19] [20] | ||
| Roger Bobo | 1938–2023 | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1964–89). Taught at the Musashino Academia Musicae, the Fiesole School of Music, the Lausanne Conservatory, the Rotterdams Konservatorium, and the Royal Northern College of Music.[21] | ||
| Ray Draper | 1940–1982 | American | Jazz | Played with Jackie McLean, Donald Byrd, John Coltrane, Max Roach and Don Cherry, among others[22] | ||
| John Fletcher | 1941–1987 | English | Classical | A leading player and teacher of the 20th century. Played in the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Philip Jones Brass Ensemble[23] | ||
| R. Winston Morris | 1941– | American | Classical | Long time instructor at Tennessee Tech[24] | ||
| Howard Johnson | 1941–2021 | American | Jazz | Also a baritone saxophonist and bandleader, he played in the SNL band and with Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Archie Shepp, Hank Mobley and Gil Evans, among others.[25] [26] | ||
| Dave Bargeron | 1942– | American | Jazz | Primarily a trombone player, he played with Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Doc Severinsen's Band, Gil Evans Orchestra, Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, David Sanborn, Pat Metheny among others.[27] | ||
| Giancarlo Schiaffini | 1942– | Italian | Jazz | Primarily a trombonist. Closely associated with avant-garde music, free improvisation and free jazz[28] | ||
| Jim Self | 1943– | American | Film | Los Angeles session musician for over 1500 film soundtracks; tubist with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Opera[29] | ||
| Bob Stewart | 1945– | American | Jazz | Also an educator, and studio musician; Professor at the Juilliard School and a "Distinguished Lecturer" at Lehman College[30] | ||
| Charles Daellenbach | 1945– | Canadian | Various | Co-founder of Canadian Brass[31] | ||
| Samuel Pilafian | 1949–2019 | American | Various | Empire Brass
| ||
| Anthony Lacen | 1950–2004 | American | Jazz | [33] | ||
| John D. Stevens | 1951– | American | Various | Professor at University of Wisconsin–Madison; composer/arranger; member of The Wisconsin Brass Quintet; formerly taught at The University of Miami[34] | ||
| Gene Pokorny | 1953– | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (since 1989). He teaches at Northwestern University[35] [36] | ||
| Scott Irvine | 1953– | Canadian | Classical | Principal tubist of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and Esprit Orchestra; tubist of True North Brass.[37] | ||
| Tony Clements | 1954– | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Symphony Silicon Valley (since 2002); formerly principal of the SJS (1981–2001)[38] [39] | ||
| David Fedderly | 1954– | American | Classical | Former Principal tubist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (1983–2014). Former instructor at The Juilliard School and Peabody Institute[40] | ||
| James Gourlay | 1956– | British | Classical | Soloist and chamber musician. Teaches at Duquesne University and directs the River City Brass Band. Formerly Deputy Principal and music director at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Head of the Royal Northern College of Music[41] [42] | ||
| James Akins | 1956– | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (since 1981). Teaches at Ohio State University[43] | ||
| John Van Houten | 1957– | American | Film | Played in various movies[44] | ||
| Norman Pearson | 1957/58– | American | Classical | Former principal tubist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1993–2020)[45] [46] | ||
| Walter Hilgers | 1959– | German | Classical | Formerly principal tubist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra[47] | ||
| Michel Massot | 1960– | Belgian | Jazz | Founder of Trio Bravo; teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Liège.[48] | ||
| Michel Godard | 1960– | French | Jazz | Played with numerous bands[49] | ||
| Jeffrey Anderson | 1962– | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the San Francisco Symphony (since 2017); formerly principal of the RCO. Teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music[50] [51] [52] | ||
| Marcus Rojas | 1963– | American | Various | Plays in the Spanish Fly jazz group. Has played with the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet, among other ensembles. Teaches at New York University, State University of New York at Purchase, and Brooklyn College[53] [54] | ||
| Heiko Triebener | 1964– | German | Classical | Principal tubist of the Bamberger Symphoniker (since 1993). Teaches at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg[55] | ||
| Alan Baer | – | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the New York Philharmonic (since 2004); formerly principal of the MSO, LPO and LBSO. Teaches at the Juilliard School, Rutgers University and the Mannes School of Music[56] [57] | ||
| Øystein Baadsvik | 1966– | Norwegian | Soloist | Soloist and chamber musician[58] [59] | ||
| Nedra Johnson | 1966– | American | Jazz | Daughter of the tubist Howard Johnson[60] | ||
| Yasuhito Sugiyama | 1967– | Japanese | Classical | Principal tubist of the Cleveland Orchestra (since 2006); formerly principal of the VSOO[61] | ||
| Tom Heasley | Late 1960s | American | Ambient | Composer, performer, and recording artist.[62] | ||
| Kenneth Amis | 1970– | American | Various | Tubist of Empire Brass[63] | ||
| Bennie Pete | 1976– | American | Jazz | Founder of the Hot 8 Brass Band[64] | ||
| Velvet Brown | – | American | Classical | Soloist and chamber musician. Professor of tuba and euphonium at Pennsylvania State University[65] [66] | ||
| Bill Muter | 1984– | American | Avant-garde tubist | Also a bassist, he is known for his book A Practical Approach (2012)[67] | ||
| Carol Jantsch | 1985– | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Philadelphia Orchestra (since 2006); the first woman tubist in a major US orchestra. Teaches at Yale University and Temple University[68] [69] | ||
| Thomas Leleu | 1987– | French | Classical | Principal tubist of the Opera de Marseille (since 2006)[70] | ||
| Aubrey Foard | – | American | Classical | Principal tubist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (since 2018); formerly principal of the CSO and WVSO[71] [72] | ||
| Theon Cross | 1993– | British | Jazz | Tubist of the London-based group Sons of Kemet[73] [74] | ||
| August Schieldrop | 1999– | Norwegian | Classical | Soloist and chamber musician[75] | ||