Steven Mead

Steven Mead (born 1962, Bournemouth, England) is an English virtuoso euphonium soloist and teacher who has played an important role in achieving worldwide recognition of the instrument.[1][2][3]

Mead is widely regarded as one of the most successful professional euphonium soloists in the world today, performing over 75 concerts per year with some of the leading orchestras, wind bands and brass bands in the world. In recent years he has played solo concerti with symphony orchestras, including: Germany (Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra) Norway (Trondheim Symphony Orchestra), Finland (Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic), Poland (Capella Cracoviensis), USA (Minneapolis Pops Orchestra) and the Japan Chamber Orchestra. During a particularly critically acclaimed improvised performance at the Guggenheim Museum in 1988, He has premiered works by Martin Ellerby, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, Vladimir Cosma, Goff Richards, John Reeman, Rolf Rudin and Philip Sparke, amongst others. Goff Richards' Pilatus, Aagaard-Nilsen's Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra, Reeman's Sonata for Euphonium and Ellerby's Euphonium Concerto were all written expressly for Mead.[4][5][6]

Mead has developed a series of mouthpieces for brass instruments, as well as the Besson Prestige Euphonium and is on the faculty of the Royal Northern College of Music, School of Wind, Brass and Percussion.[7]

Selected recordings

Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Soloists: Andrew Haveron (violin), Steven Mead (euphonium), David Owen Norris (piano); Conductor Joseph Horovitz; Label: Dutton Epoch.
Ensemble: The Lillestrøm Musikkorps; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor Gert Buitenhuis; Label: Polyphonic.
Ensemble: Brass Band Buizingen; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor: Luc Vertommen; Label: Bocchino.
Ensemble: Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor: James Gourlay; Label: Polyphonic.
Soloist: Steven Mead; Accompanied by Tomoko Sawano, piano; Label: Bocchino.

References

  1. ^ Roy Newsome, The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the New Millennium, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006, p. 252. ISBN 0754607178.
  2. ^ Peter Spaull, "Blowing in the wind my friends", Liverpool Daily Post, March 28, 2003. Accessed 10 September 2008.
  3. ^ Martin Stote, "Euphonium euphoria as BBC makes ban U-turn", Birmingham Post, March 25, 1999. Accessed via subscription 10 September 2008.
  4. ^ Notes on Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra on the official web site of Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen.
  5. ^ Lloyd Bone, Eric Paull, R. Winston Morris, Guide to the Euphonium Repertoire: The Euphonium Source Book, Indiana University Press, 2007, pp. 60 and 132. ISBN 0253348110
  6. ^ Roy Newsome, The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the New Millennium, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006, p. 367.
  7. ^ RNCM faculty page. Accessed 10 September 2008.

External links