"BETWEEN TUBAS and EUPHONIUMS...MATTIAS JOHANSSON"

Hello everyone. Today I bring you an interview with one of the current leaders of the Tuba in the Nordic countries and a friend of a server. I hope and wish you enjoy your experience in your interview as much as I do. I thank you for your kind collaboration.

Without further ado we begin. 

Let's start.

· Name and surname: 

Mattias Johansson

· What instrument / s do you use?

I use a B/S F tuba, JBL model and I have two C tubas. Hirsbrunner, York model and a 4/4 piston valve. I also have a travel tuba.

My orchestra has a Rudolf Meinl cimbasso in F.

· What manufacturer and model are the instruments you use:

B/S, Hirsbrunner and Rudolf Meinl.

· What manufacturer and model are the mouthpiece / s you use: 

I use Scott Laskey 28 F for the F tuba and SL 28 H for the C tuba. Sometimes also a Conn Helleberg.

Let's talk about your EDUCATION:

· When and where did you start your Tuba studies?

I started in my local music school in Sweden. 

· At what age? 

I was 13 when I started to play tuba.

· What reasons or circumstances led you to study this instrument?

I played violin since I was six years old, but the lack of a tuba in my orchestra and a persuading teacher, convinced med to switch the violin for tuba and electric bass.

It got me right away, to play in both wind band and big band.

· Who were your main teachers? 

Jens Bjørn-Larsen at the conservatory in Copenhagen. Periods with Mel Culbertsen, Bordeaux and Torbjørn Kvist, Oslo. Also important lessons with Rex Martin.

Regarding your vast PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Please give us an account of your experience as a soloist, member of chamber groups, orchestra, band, etc.

· In Orchestra and / or Band:

I am tuba player in Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Denmark.

From 2002-2004 I had the tuba position at Malmo Opera orchestra, Sweden, and between 2008 to 2014 in Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

· Metal Ensembles:

Brass quintets in the orchestras I have been working in.

· Concerts as Soloist:

I have had the opportunity to premier two tuba concertos with my orchestra:

Anders Koppel, ´Concerto for tuba and orchestra´in 2003 and 2009. Also recorded on CD for Da Capo records (cd8.226052), and Mogens Andresens ¨Colonial Concerto`in 2015.

In 2011 I performed R.Vaughan-Williams, Concerto with Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and in 2018, a double concerto for tuba and double bass, ´Rain, Wind, Fire and Death´, composed by Bo Gunge, with Aarhus Sinfonietta. 

Treating OTHER TOPICS OF INTEREST.

Here in Spain, in some centers the Euphonium is considered to be an instrument that should have its own specialization and, on the other hand, some believe that, as an instrumentalist, one should know and master the Tuba and Euphonium.

• Could you give us your opinion on this and how you would approach this topic in the interest of education and training adapted to the necessary specialization that is currently required worldwide?

I believe euphonium needs the specialization as any other instrument. Here in Denmark it’s often trombone players, who switch to euphonium, when needed. Not so common with tuba players. 

• How do you see the tuba and euphonium teaching today and with a view to the future?

I have only taught euphonium players in Spain, never in Denmark, but there is of course a lot of things in common. I think it would be good for tuba players to have some teaching on euphonium, and with that, wider the job opportunities afterwards.

Let's talk about your EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING:

· Tell us in which learning centers you have taught classes (visiting teacher, courses, master classes, etc.)

I teach tuba at the Music school in Aalborg an at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus.

Through Erasmus I have twice been visiting ESMUC in Barcelona for master classes, and I 2019, at CSM in Jaen.

· How do you organize your classes and the topic in general?

Both with beginner students and conservatory students, I think it´s important to have a session with breathing/mouthpiece and basics in the start, and then go trough excercises etudes and solomusic. And of course orchestra parts.

· How long are your classes?

From 25 minutes with beginners to 1h15min with conservatory students.

· Do you think it is important for a student to make public presentations during their years of study? If so, how many times do you consider it appropriate and at what age or grade? Elementary, Professional, Superior?

On every level it´s important to perform as often as possible. You learn a lot when performing and for students its important with experience, and if necessary, dealing with nervousness.

For tuba student, I also believe it is important to take every chance of playing chamber music and orchestra, to get the experience of playing with other musicians.  

An important part of the course curriculum is standardized and based on the idea that the student masters the repertoire alone, sometimes to the detriment of the large group repertoire (Orchestra and Band), when in fact the majority of Tuba students and Bombardino are going to be teachers and / or members of a band and, to a lesser extent, of an orchestra in the case of the Tubas.

· In your opinion, how should this problem be addressed? How important do you think it is to include learning and mastery of the orchestral repertoire as part of the course curriculum?

Orchestra parts is very good in studying the basics, rhythm, sound, sustaining notes and intonation. 

· If I had to choose as a student (in a hypothetical situation), would you have a preference between a Tuba student and a Euphonium student? 

Tuba.

About your DAILY WORK.

· What type of repertoire do you mainly work in?

Mostly modern music when I perform myself, and more standard repertoire for my students.

· What warm-up exercises do you use? 

At the moment I use Michael Davis:20 min Warm Up.

TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES:

· Could you give us your opinion on the different concepts of sound and what characteristics define it, the articulation, the types of instruments, the literature, if the influence of language and musical tradition on sound is considered important and how to play?

From sitting at some tuba auditions, and teaching students from different parts of Europe, I certainly can hear difference in the articulation and that many times has to do with language.

I think it´s a spice to the music, as long as it doesn´t interfer with the sound.

We all, more or less, play the same brands and same sizes of tubas.

The difference in literature, where You can hear the countries musical language is very interesting.

· Tell us a bit about the manufacture of Tubas and / or Euphoniums and mouthpieces and tell us about your experiences and tastes of a particular manufacturer and why?

I have all the time been playing B/S and I love the sound of it.

For C tuba it´s the same. For me, the Hirsbrunner sound is great in orchestra.

Both tubas has the dark warm sound I like, and the B/S can also really shine if necessary.

For many years I played Conn Helleberg on both instruments, but changed to Scott Laskey. I now I have used that for some years. I guess I don’t experiment so much with mouthpieces.

The last years I have tried Miraphone, Elektra and Firebird on different occasions, and like them a lot to.

You are a recognized interpreter in you country.

Please tell us about the history of our instruments in your land.

Since Michael Lind came to Sweden in the mid 1970, it has been a lot of fantastic, both solo and chamber music written for tuba.

Great teachers like Jens Bjørn-Larsen and Torbjørn Kvist, has made the standard of tuba playing in the nordic countries very high.

IN CONCLUSION:

· In your experience, do you think that the diversity of interpreters, instruments and the opportunity to train in various specialized schools is being homogenized in the interpretive centers that are already established? (Example: Russian, American, German-Austrian, English, etc.).

With the high level of teaching there is most places, I think You can go almost anywhere, for  teaching, and get the personality from that specific country on top, whether it´s Spain, Russia or Denmark.

Mattias, it is a big pleasure and a great honor to count on your experience and collaboration in this series of interviews.

My pleasure. Hugs from Denmark:)

I hope see you soon.

Thank you very much and best wishes.

A big hug.