Southeastern Department of Fine and Performing Arts to present OcTubaFest
Monday, October 17, 2016
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Fine and Performing
Arts will present “OcTubaFest,” a free concert series featuring tuba and euphonium.
The fest will feature several performances Oct. 25-26.
Lecturer of tuba and euphonium Brian Gallion said the series of four concerts
features Southeastern tuba and euphonium faculty and students. All concerts will be
held in Pottle Music Building Recital Hall.
“OcTubaFest was created in 1974 by a tuba player named Harvey Phillips in honor
of his tuba teacher Bill Bell,” Gallion said. “The purpose is to give positive exposure
to these often neglected and overlooked instruments and players.”
OcTubaFest kicks off Oct. 25, with a student solo recital at 7:30 p.m. that features
euphonium students Stephan August of Baton Rouge, Seth Guerra of Tickfaw, April Sutton
of Commerce City, Colo., Danielle Chatelain of Destrehan, and Cullen Hinkle of Morgan
City. Tuba students performing in the recital include Matt Jays of Kenner, Logan Bergeron
of Walker, Jacob Middleton of Baton Rouge, Cody Revere of Covington, Lupita Mirafuentes
of Houston, Tex., and Remi Vedros of Hammond.
OcTubaFest continues on Oct. 26 with two concerts at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The
6 p.m. performance features students in small and large ensemble performances. The
small chamber performances will feature several different instrumentations, including
a tuba quartet, a tuba duet and a euphonium and flute duet. The large ensemble, which
features 12 music majors and minors and is conducted by Gallion, will perform a variety
of original works, that include “Fanfare,” from the movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”
by Michael Kamen and arranged by Jon Oliver; “O Magnum Mysterium” by Morton Lauridson
and arranged by Jon Oliver; and “Adventurer’s Tale” by Jon Oliver.
The 7:30 p.m. concert is a solo recital by Gallion, who will present “Movie Music
for the Tuba.” The first half of the recital will feature the songs “Somewhere over
the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gabrielle’s Oboe” from “The Last of the
Mohicans.” Also in the first half is an original work for tuba by the movie music
composer Bruce Broughton. Broughton is most famous for his work on the movie “Silverado,”
but also wrote several works for solo tuba and piano, including the “Concerto for
Tuba,” which Gallion will be playing.
All works on the first half will be accompanied on piano by Chuck Effler, director
of Southeastern Opera/Music Theatre Workshop.
The second half of the recital will feature Gallion performing two works by Benjamin
McMillan: “Tomes of Hardened Steel” and “Tomes of the Wanderer.” Both works are for
tuba and fixed media (CD accompaniment) and are designed to sound like orchestral
movie scores with the tuba as the feature solo instrument. Gallion is collaborating
with Professor Christina Molina from the Southeastern Department of Fine and Performing
Arts to create original animation to accompany both works. Gallion plans to also officially
premiere the collaboration at the South Central Regional Tuba/Euphonium Conference
in Tuscaloosa, Ala. in March 2017.
For more information, contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at 985-549-2184.
