Featured Artist

Øystein Baadsvik

Tuba

Profile

Øystein Baadsvik may well have a case for being the world’s most popular tuba player. The Norwegian is a delight to watch and his recital of Fnugg has the ring of a love letter being penned to the tuba. Baadsvik relishes the instrument’s deep rich sounds, embellishing them with a haunting half-sung, half-hummed, roar that swells from his stomach like a beast in a cavern, bashing aside the percussive clicks that his tongue fires into the piece.

Fnugg is a phenomenon. An eccentric delight filled with musical texture and a knowing touch of Scandinavian wonder. These qualities are illustrative of why Baadsvik is one of a very few select tuba players who can enjoy the honour of being a much in demand soloist.

The musical maverick teaches at seminars held across the States each year, providing the opportunity for aspiring tuba players to learn from his innovative techniques.

Baadsvik has already notched appearances with many of the world’s top orchestras including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic and Nordic Chamber Orchestra, he is credited for his commitment to performing new works by emerging and lesser-known composers. Born in 1966, Baadsvik began playing the tuba at the age of 15, he studied under maestros Harvey Phillips and Arnold Jacobs. He first gained international recognition in 1991 when he was awarded two prizes at the prestigious Concours International d’Exécution Musicale in Geneva.
Pic © Erik Borseth

---