Discoveries for brass players, once a month. Join our free newsletter →

Tuba

All articles related to Tuba

Free
No. 18 • 1977 Digitized

And approach the realm of making beautiful music

A rare and powerful call from maestro Roger Bobo: at the height of the “Tuba Explosion”, he challenges players to define — at last — the ideal instrument.

By Roger Bobo

Equipment Acoustics Instrument making Valves Intonation
How and why I became a musician Free
No. 56 • 1986 Digitized

Part 7

How and why I became a musician

Edouard Gros recalls wartime variety work in Geneva, intensive tuba practice and the audition that led to a secure orchestral post and 32 years in Berne.

By Edouard Gros

Encounters Professional life Auditions Orchestral playing
How and why I became a musician
No. 55 • 1986 Digitized

Part 6

How and why I became a musician

In wartime Switzerland, an unexpected encounter in Basel gives Edouard Gros his first F tuba, opening a new musical path amid military service and orchestral rivalries.

By Edouard Gros

Encounters History
Tubas in Jazz and Popular Music Free
No. 56 • 1986 Digitized

Part 1

Tubas in Jazz and Popular Music

Euphonium virtuosos, dance bands and Bill Bell’s example shape the tuba’s early history in jazz and popular music, challenging assumptions about its technical limits.

By Michel Laplace

History Jazz Historical instruments
No. 76 • 1991 Awaiting digitization

Jens Bjorn-Larsen

Historic winner

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Encounters Competition
No. 121 • 2003 Awaiting digitization

Jon Sass - Confidences of a happy tuba player

By Jon Sass

Encounters
No. 63 • 1988 Awaiting digitization

The low-down... with Marc Steckar

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Encounters
No. 95 • 1996 Awaiting digitization

Markneukirchen 1996

31st annual international instrumental competition • Horn • Tuba

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Competition
No. 103 • 1998 Awaiting digitization

Stadl-Paura Tuba Festival 1998

By Jeremy Mathez

Report Event
No. 119 • 2002 Awaiting digitization

Shuko Kuramoto - Fairy magic on the tuba

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Encounters
John Fletcher
No. 47 • 1984 Digitized

John Fletcher

Is Big Always Beautiful?

As brass instruments grew larger and louder, John Fletcher saw something being lost: the individual voice, clarity and character that make a player heard.

By Thomas Aitken

Encounters Sound Interpretation
No. 112 • 2000 Awaiting digitization

Brno - Tuba Competition 2000

By Katerina Baranova

Competition
The tuba in Europe
No. 11 • 1975 Digitized

The tuba in Europe

Why does the tuba sound different across Europe? Robert Tucci explores national styles, instruments and orchestral traditions.

By Robert Tucci

Report Equipment Sound German school Orchestral playing
The history of the big York-Hirsbrunner Tuba
No. 40 • 1982 Digitized

The history of the big York-Hirsbrunner Tuba

The instrument maker's point of view

A legendary orchestral tuba became the starting point for rethinking how craftsmanship, industrial methods and musical results rarely follow the same path.

By Peter Hirsbrunner

Instrument Makers Equipment Instrument making
No. 114 • 2001 Awaiting digitization

12 Tubists in search of a future...

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Report
No. 116 • 2001 Awaiting digitization

A voyage with Roland Szentpali, Hungarian tubist and composer

By Levente Kövesdi

Encounters Repertoire
How and why I became a musician
No. 53 • 1986 Digitized

Part 4

How and why I became a musician

In Geneva on the eve of war, Edouard Gros navigates Ansermet’s demanding orchestra, summer trumpet engagements and the sudden upheaval of military mobilisation.

By Edouard Gros

Professional life History Orchestral playing Freelance
Free
No. 21 • 1978 Digitized

Yes or no? Beware!

Do we or do we not play transcriptions?

“Transcriptions: yes or no? Beware.” Roger Bobo challenges tubists to rethink repertoire, taste, and tradition in a bold call for musical judgment and artistic freedom.

By Roger Bobo

Repertoire Interpretation Contemporary Music Ideas
How and why I became a musician
No. 51 • 1985 Digitized

Part 2

How and why I became a musician

A teenage double bassist in 1920s Lausanne turns family resistance, scout orchestras and hard-earned engagements into the beginnings of a professional life.

By Edouard Gros

Professional life Orchestral playing
How and why I became a musician Free
No. 50 • 1985 Digitized

Part 1

How and why I became a musician

A father determined to keep his son from music unwittingly gives him the foundations for a life shaped by orchestras, discipline and an irresistible vocation.

By Edouard Gros

Professional life
No. 98 • 1997 Awaiting digitization

From the bombardon to the Vienna concert tuba

The Vienna tuba has been part of the "Vienna sound" and the Vienna Opera (Vienna Philharmonic) for 160 years

By Gerhard Zechmeister

History Equipment
John Fletcher Free
No. 27 • 1979 Digitized

John Fletcher

Interview

From brass bands to chamber ensembles, John Fletcher reflects on the rapid rise of young British tubists and the changing role of the instrument.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Encounters Society Sociology Solo playing Brass Ensemble
No. 120 • 2002 Awaiting digitization

Jon Sass

A giant tuba, a giant on the tuba

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Encounters
No. 92 • 1995 Awaiting digitization

Harri Lidsle

Master stroke of a young Finnish tubist

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Report Encounters Repertoire
Loading…

Questions & Answers

How the Digital Edition works

What does the Digital Edition include?

The Digital Edition brings together the articles already digitized as searchable online texts—not simply as scans or PDF files—along with their original illustrations, notes, authorship, issue information, and available translations. Related-article suggestions currently include only this digitized material.

Are the digital articles identical to the originals?

We preserve the original text, language, illustrations, captions, footnotes, and editorial context as faithfully as possible. The presentation is adapted for comfortable online reading, and obvious transcription or scanning errors may be corrected. The substance and character of the published article remain unchanged.

Which languages are available?

Brass Bulletin was published in English, French, and German throughout its history. Italian and Spanish translations were added from issue No. 60 onward.

On the Italian and Spanish sites, articles from issues 1–59 are therefore shown in English by default.

How often are new articles added?

New articles are added almost daily, with approximately one complete issue digitized each week. The pace may vary depending on the preparation, image work, and editorial checking required.

Why aren’t all articles available digitally?

The complete Brass Bulletin collection contains 1,246 articles published between 1971 and 2003. The full index is already available online, allowing readers to discover every article in the collection, including those whose complete text has not yet been digitized.

Digitization began in February 2026. Each article is carefully prepared for online reading, checked, and connected to its issue, authors, subjects, and illustrations. At the current pace of digitization, the complete collection is expected to be available online by February 2028.

Why do some references mention articles that are not available yet?

References in the original articles are preserved even when the material they point to has not yet been digitized. This keeps the historical and editorial record intact. As more issues are added to the Digital Edition, an increasing number of these references will lead to articles that can be read online.

Can I suggest an article or report a transcription error?

Yes. If there is an article you would particularly like to see digitized, or if you notice a possible transcription error or missing detail, please contact us. Reader feedback helps us improve the Digital Edition and prioritize useful connections within the archive.

How can I support Brass Bulletin?

Your support helps fund the preparation, verification, and online publication of the complete collection.

Subscribe to the Digital Edition

Prefer to support us without subscribing?

Make a donation

How is the digitization progressing?

We’re gradually making the Brass Bulletin available online, article by article. You can read newly digitized articles as soon as they’re ready, even before an entire issue is complete.

Visit our Digitization Roadmap to browse recent additions and see estimated availability for upcoming issues. These estimates follow our recent pace and may change.

Search Brass Bulletin.