"BETWEEN TUBAS and EUPHONIUMS.....NORBERT NOLD"

Hi all. Today's interview is with a very important person and known to many metal musicians in Europe who love the Miraphone brand. It is a pleasure to be able to interview him for my blog and I thank him infinitely for his patience, collaboration and friendship for many years. 

Without further ado let's begin.

• Name and surname:

Norbert Nold

• Do you play or have you played any wind instrument?

Trombone and saxophones

• What instrument manufacturer do you own, CEO or representative?

Director Marketing and Sales

• What instruments do you make?

Various professional Miraphone brass instruments from flugelhorns to tubas "100% Made in Germany" 

• What models?

1. Bb tubas: model Hagen, 91A, 86A, 282
2. F tuba: Elektra, Firebird, Petruschka
3. C tuba: New Yorker, Bruckner
4. Eb tubas: Norwegian Star, Starlight,
5. Euphonium: Ambassador M5050, M5000, 1258
6. Tenorhorn/bariton 47WL, 54L, 56L
7. Flugelhorn 24R, 25
8. Trumpet: M3000, M3050, 9R, 11

MIRAPHONE Tubas

• What type of Tubas and / or Euphoniums are manufactured in your company? Professionals, for students, beginners?

Tubas 4 -6 valves with rotary valves, front action and piston valves upright, euphonium 3-4 valves with or without compensating system. All manufactured for professionals and students.

• Do you manufacture nozzles in your company?

No

• What type of nozzles? Standard or specifically for each instrument?

All mouthpieces are made by J. Klier and specially made for each instrument.

Let's talk about your company:

• When it was founded?

1946

• In what city or country?

Waldkraiburg, Bavaria, Germany

• Who was the founder?

13 instrument builders from Graslitz who came to Waldkraiburg after being expelled from their country after World War II

• Since when do you manufacture Tubas and / or Euphoniums?

Having started with repairs the founders decided in 1947 to build instruments, including tubas and euphoniums

MIRAPHONE   Factory

• What reasons or circumstances led you to manufacture Tubas and / or Euphoniums?

The 13 founders brought the knowledge and started building instruments in their new home country. We continue the tradition, experience and craftsmanship in order to give the musicians instruments that meet their highest demands concerning response, intonation, sound and perfection. Thus we give them the opportunity to create their individual sound according to our slogan: "Live the Perfection"

• Who were its main designers?

In the early years there was no special main designer. Instruments were developed in cooperation with professional musicians. Main designers from the late 1970´s onwards: Franz Köhler, then Bernd Jestädt, now Christian Niedermaier

Regarding the vast experience of your brand in the market:

Please leave us a count of the most relevant artists in your catalog broken down as follows:

• In Orchestra and / or Band, Metal Sets, Soloist and Teachers:

Please see here a short list out of our huge endorser pool:

• Öystein Baadsvik, Norway
• Dirk Hirthe, Germany
• Gerard Buquet, France
• Micael Cortone d‘Amore, France
• Pablo M. Fernandez Garcia, Spain
• Eros Sabbatani, Italy
• Gil Goncalves, Portugal
• Dr. Benjamin Pierce, USA
• Steve Rosse, Australia
• Sun Shuai, China
• Florian Wielgosik, Monte Carlo
• Demondrae Thurman, USA
• Salvador Tarraso, Spain
• Stefan Huber, Germany
• Wolfgang Rabensteiner, Italy
• Gianluca Grosso, Italy
• Michael Pircher, Austria
• Max Wagner, Germany
• Alexander Wurz Germany
• Carsten Ebbinghaus, Germany
• Daniel Herskedal, Norway
• Miraphone Tuba Quartett, France

MIRAPHONE artist:
Oystein Baadsvik, Pablo Fernández, Gil Gonçalves, Dirk Hirthe and Demondrae Thurman

TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES:

• Could you give us your opinion on the different concepts of sound and what characteristics define it, according to the different types of instruments, that your brand manufactures?

First of all, the sound depends on the taper of the instrument, of course also on the material thickness and whether it is a brass or gold brass instrument. Further influences are the bore of the machine, whether you choose a small bore and how much the body then widens to the bell. Rotary valves or piston valves have their own sound character.

Our intention is to produce instruments with a direct and easy response and a large sound projection, together with a well centered tone for both the orchestral musician and the soloist. Therefore, we have different models in the range, where every musician can choose “his" instrument, suitable for his individual sound concept.

• Please tell us a bit about the actual manufacture of brass instruments based on your experience?

Most important is to train the employees well and to keep them in the company for a long time. This is a fundamental requirement for a good quality of the products. Furthermore, the suppliers who supply us with the tubing material are of great importance. With many of our suppliers we have cooperated for decades.

During MIRAPHONE ANDALUCIA TOUR 2018
Left to Right: Pablo Fernández, Harold Hernández and Norbert Nold

IN CONCLUSION:

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

It is certainly the case that the training, the idea of sound and interpretation are different in the different countries. And that's a good thing!! In the recent years my experience in numerous international activities has shown that students - of course also studied brass players - attend many international seminars and workshops or even take semesters abroad with renowned lecturers in universities and academies. Likewise, most professional musicians are very closely linked internationally, so their own musicality has become more open and free. 

The new impressions they gain are taken over into their own playing, which in turn makes one's own music more multifaceted and flexible. This, in turn, is very important, because many of the students often do not find a vacancy in their own country and therefore have to look abroad for a suitable job.

The experience already gained internationally can play a very important role.

It is a pleasure and an honor to count on your experience and knowledge in my work as well as your sincere friendship.

Thank you very much and best wishes.

A big hug.