Dana School of Music Announces Octubafest Schedule

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Dana School of Music announces its schedule for Octubafest 2017, a series of concerts and public recitals showcasing the solo and ensemble repertoire for tuba and euphonium that are free and open to the public.

Octubafest was established in October 1973 by Harvey Philips, professor emeritus of Indiana University School of Music to honor the rich heritage of the tuba and euphonium.

Michael Forbes, the first performer of the fest, began his career playing the tuba with the U.S. Army band, “Pershing’s Own.” His current position is as associate lecturer of low brass at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Forbes holds a doctorate in music and is the principal tubist with the La Crosse and Manitowoc Symphony Orchestras in Wisconsin. He has also served as the tubist with the “Guy’s All-Star Shoeband” on Garrison Keillor’s radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” He has two Summit Records solo albums, “Forbes Plays Koetsier” (2006) and “Forbes Plays Forbes” (2013) where he features his works. As the founder and manager of the Isthmus Brass and the Sotto Voce Quartet, Forbes enjoys performing and recording chamber music with his colleagues around the world.

Another artist that will be performing during the fest is pianist Eric Jenkins, a native of Portage, Wis. Jenkins joined the faculties at Emory University and Kennesaw State University in 2017 as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach. Jenkins completed his studies at Florida State University in 2013, obtaining both master of music and doctor of music degrees in piano performance: accompanying and chamber music. He worked as a graduate assistant in accompanying and opera, and as music director with Florida State Opera Outreach. Jenkins has served as répétiteur and staff pianist for the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria for several years, beginning in 2010. He has been active as a recitalist, collaborating with instrumentalists and vocalists throughout venues in North America and Europe. 

A schedule for the Octubafest is as followed:

• Guest Artist Recital: Michael Forbes, tuba at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in Bliss Recital Hall.
• Senior Music Education Recital: Jacob Umbrazun, tuba at 1 p.m. Oct. 15 in Bliss Recital Hall.
• Faculty Recital: Brian Kiser, tuba; Jack Ciarniello, piano at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in Bliss Recital Hall.
• Music at Noon: Tube/Euphonium Recital at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 18 in Butler Institute of American Art.
• Senior Music Education Recital: Rebecca Shelton, euphonium at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in St. John’s Episcopal Church.
• Tuba/Euphonium Studio Recital: 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in Bliss Recital Hall.

For more information call the office of community engagement and events at 330 941 2307. A complete calendar of events is available at YSU.edu.

Pictured: Michael Forbes, tuba performer, composer and professor of low brass at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

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