Historical Overview of the Development of Collegiate and Professional Tuba Euphonium Ensembles in the United States

This document provides a historical overview of the development of tuba-euphonium ensembles in the United States. It outlines the establishment of tradition, instrumentation, repertoire, organizations, and important historical figures in the development of the American tuba-euphonium ensemble. It also includes interviews with university tuba professors who have played significant roles in the history of tuba-euphonium ensembles in the United States. During the first half of the twentieth century, the public viewed the tuba as only appropriate for rhythm or to provide the root in a harmonic progression. There were no university tuba professors, and no tuba-euphonium ensembles. By the end of the twentieth century, tuba-euphonium ensembles were flourishing across the United States. In addition to many new collegiate ensembles, tuba-euphonium ensembles consisting entirely of professional musicians were formed. There was a tremendous availability of repertoire for these ensembles, including both transcriptions and original music. They frequently performed on a wide array of venues including Carnegie Recital Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Kennedy Center. By the 1980s and 1990s, the early twentieth century stereotype for the tuba and its players had been altered to a more respectable position in the world of music. The tuba-euphonium ensemble had defined its place in music parallel to the changing role of the tubist.