Internationally acclaimed tuba player Øystein Baadsvik recently performed in Bennett Auditorium on Wednesday, Oct 18.
Accompanied by Michael Bunchman on piano, Baadsvik’s set consisted of four phases. There was an introductory song, “New Kid.” Then three tuba concertos, and another song called “Echoes” after that. The performance wrapped with three tango songs inspired by a different composer.
Many of the songs were written or co-written by Baadsvik’s wife, violinist Anna Baadsvik.
Concerts like these are a staple of The University of Southern Mississippi’s music program. They’re a source of learning and entertainment for music students like freshman Eva Matson, who majors in music education with an emphasis on clarinet.
Matson enjoys these recitals “because you learn so many different things from different types of repertoire. Especially if you go and do background research on the composers and instrumentalists playing you’ll learn quite a bit.”
Tuba-euphonium professor Dr. Richard Perry said the recitals have great educational value for music students. Perry is the head of the school of music’s Tuba/Euphonium studio. The studio comprises 16-20 student players. They put on student recitals and host guest performances like the one on Wednesday.
“This is one of the highest level tuba players, brass players, and really musicians I think in the world right now, and to be exposed to that kind of playing I think can really only change your perception of music,” Perry said. “Particularly for us that are tuba players, it gives us an idea of what really the ceiling is for our instrument. And that’s what we can aspire to.”
Baadsvik’s performance included brief pauses between stages of the performance. During these times, he talked directly to the audience and told stories about the inspiration for each song.
He closed out his performance with a standing ovation from the crowd.
Baadsvik is a Norwegian tuba performer who rose to international acclaim after winning two awards at the Concours International d’Exécution Musicale in 1991.
Classic FM listeners voted him one of the top ten brass players in history. Baadsvik has over 7 million views on YouTube. He did the first TED talk on the tuba, which as of this publication sits at 1.3 million views on YouTube.
He performed with orchestras all over the world such as the L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Musica Vitae (Swedish Chamber Orchestra), the Taipei National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, Orchestra Victoria of Melbourne, Warsaw Philharmonic, Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra, and more.
In addition to being a recording artist, Baadsvik hosts tuba clinics and masterclasses.
The performance at Bennett was a stop on his fall tour.
Recitals, concerts, and other performances like this are held throughout the school year. Some are free and open to students and the public. Visit calendar.usm.edu for more information on upcoming events with the School of Music or other events going on at USM. For more information on the school of music, www.usm.edu/music.
You can visit the School of Music on Instagram at @usmmusic.