Steven Mead (born 1962 in
Bournemouth, England
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the English ...
) is an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
virtuoso
A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
soloist and teacher who has played an important role in achieving worldwide recognition of the instrument. He has played solo concerti with many symphony orchestras, including: the
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
Stuttgart (; Swabian German, Swabian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fe ...
, the
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera ( Norwegian: ''Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera'') is a Norwegian orchestra based in Trondheim, Norway. Its principal concert venue is the Olavshallen. The orchestra is organised as a trust and receives p ...
,
Lahti Symphony Orchestra The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (''Sinfonia Lahti'') is a Finnish orchestra, based in the city of Lahti. The orchestra is resident at the Sibelius Hall. The orchestra was founded in 1910, and placed under the control of the Lahti municipality in 1949 ...
and
Helsinki Philharmonic
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (in Finnish: ; in Swedish: ; literal English translation: Helsinki City Orchestra; commonly abbreviated as HPO) is an orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1882 by Robert Kajanus, the Philharmonic Orc ...
,
Capella Cracoviensis
Capella Cracoviensis is a period instrument ensemble and a chamber choir based in Kraków, Poland. It was formed in 1970 by composer and music conductor Stanisław Gałoński (b. 1936), its first director and general manager. Capella Cracoviensis ...
, the
Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and the
Japan Chamber Orchestra. He has premiered works by
Martin Ellerby
Martin Ellerby (1957, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England) is an English composer. He was educated at the Royal College of Music, London, where he was taught by Joseph Horovitz.
His catalogue features works for orchestra, chorus, concert band, br ...
,
Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen
Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (born 11 January 1964, in Oslo) is a Norwegian contemporary composer.
Life
Aagaard-Nilsen grew up in Kabelvåg on Lofoten in northern Norway. From 1986 to 1990 he studied at the Bergen Conservatory of Music (now known ...
,
Vladimir Cosma
Vladimir Cosma (born 13 April 1940) is a Romanian composer, conductor and violinist.
He was born into a family of musicians. His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, his mother a writer-composer, his uncle, Edgar Cosma, composer and ...
,
Goff Richards
Goff Richards (18 August 1944 – 25 June 2011), sometimes credited as Godfrey Richards,[Philip Sparke
Philip Allen Sparke (born 29 December 1951) is an English composer and musician born in London, noted for his concert band and brass band music.
His early major works include ''The Land of the Long White Cloud – "Aotearoa"'', written for t ...](_blank)
, 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.
[Roy Newsome, ''The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the New Millennium'', Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006, p]
367
Selected recordings
*
Joseph Horovitz
Joseph Horovitz (26 May 1926 – 9 February 2022) was an Austrian-born British composer and conductor best known for his 1970 pop cantata '' Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo'', which achieved widespread popularity in schools. Horovitz also comp ...
: ''Four Concertos''
:Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Soloists: Andrew Haveron (violin), Steven Mead (euphonium),
David Owen Norris
David Owen Norris, (born 1953) is a British pianist, composer, academic, and broadcaster.
Early life
Norris was born in 1953 in Long Buckby in Northamptonshire, England, later attending Daventry Grammar School. He took lessons locally from c ...
(piano); Conductor Joseph Horovitz; Label: Dutton Epoch.
*''Concertino''
:Ensemble: The Lillestrøm Musikkorps; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor Gert Buitenhuis; Label: Polyphonic.
*''Euphonium Virtuoso''
:Ensemble: Brass Band Buizingen; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor: Luc Vertommen; Label: Bocchino.
*''Dreamscapes: Wind Music by
Ellerby, Clarke &
Josephs''
:Ensemble: Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor:
James Gourlay
James Gourlay (born 1956) is a Scottish conductor and tubist.
Biography
Gourlay was born in Scotland and began to play in his local brass band at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish ...
; Label: Polyphonic.
*''Audacious''
:Soloist: Steven Mead; Accompanied by Tomoko Sawano, piano; Label: Bocchino.
*''Fandango'', released 1 June 2011; Accompanied by Tomoko Sawano, piano; Label: Bocchino.
References
*Rachel Dunlap
Mead to perform world-class talents on obscure brass instrument ''Spectator Eau Claire'', January 25, 2001. Accessed 10 September 2008.
*Ronald Holz
Review: ''Euphonium Virtuoso'' (Bocchino CD BOCC107) ''The Brass Band Bridge'', North American Brass Band Association, Issue 101, October 2006. pp. 21–22. Accessed 10 September 2008.
Steven Mead biographyon the
Besson company web site. Accessed 10 September 2008.
External links
*
Videoof a live unedited performance, most of the third movement of the Hallows Concerto (Rolf Rudin) in a performance given by Steven at The Capitol Theatre, Offenbach, on Sunday 15 March 2009, with the Neue Philharmonie Orchestra, conductor
Roland Böer
Roland Böer (6 December 1970) is a German conductor with a focus on opera. He has worked at leading European opera houses, including the Oper Frankfurt where he began as répétiteur in 1996, was Kapellmeister from 2002 to 2008, and has often a ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mead, Steven
English classical musicians
Euphonium players
1962 births
Living people
Musicians from Bournemouth