Hi all. The interviewe on this occasion, to whom I thank him for his friendship and sincere collaboration with this interview that he will surely enjoy as much as I do, is one of the current references as a Tuba interpreter in an orchestra at a European level and perhaps worldwide, among other things.
Without further ado let's begin.
My name is Vikentios Gionanidis.
· What instrument / s do you use?
I play F tubas, Bb tubas and F cimbasso.
· What manufacturer and model are the instruments you use:
My F tuba is a B&S 3100 JBL Classics.
My Bb tuba(s) are Bohland&Fuchs. I have a 6/4 Bb that is huge and is the instrument I mostly choose to play in the orchestra. It was made around the 1930s.
I also have a 4/4 from around 1900 witch is currently under construction. Usually these very old instruments need a lot of repairs and restorations before you are able to play them.
I also play a Lätzsch F cimbasso in the orchestra.
· What manufacturer and model are the mouthpiece / s you use:
On the F tuba I use for over 10 years the same mouthpiece, a Denis Wick 2,5CC.
On the Bb tuba I play a Josef Klier S 0.9 671.
On the F cimbasso I use a combination of my F tuba mouthpiece rim and a smaller cup made by Werner Schmidt.
Let's talk about your EDUCATION:
· When and where did you start your Tuba studies?
My first contact with the world of music was on the island of Corfu, Greece where I was born. There is a big wind band tradition there and most of the children go there and learn how to play woodwind, brass or percussion instruments free of charge. I started playing the tuba after playing quite a long time other brass instruments and percussion.
I then started getting lessons with G.Rarakos at the Corfu Conservatory. Later on I decided to study abroad and got accepted at the University of Music and Theater in Hannover, Germany to study under Prof. Jens Bjørn-Larsen.
I was 15 when I started playing the tuba.
· What reasons or circumstances led you to study this instrument?
I was 12 years old when I first started playing the percussion, particulary snare drum, at the wind band ‘Mantzaros’ in Corfu, Greece. I was always fascinated with the sound of the trumpet and aprox. 5 years after playing the percussion I started taking trumpet lessons. This didn’t last long since my embouchure wasn’t helping. One day, the low brass teacher came to me after he heard how much I was struggling to play notes in middle register of the trumpet and persuaded me to switch to the euphonium.
I immediately could play stuff way easier than on the trumpet. After reaching a level good enough to be a member of the concert band, the same teacher said I should get some trombone lessons if I later would like to become a professional brass player, since the euphonium has no place in the symphony orchestra. After some months practicing the trombone, I took part to the first masterclass for brass in 2003 and the teacher there convinced me to play the tuba.
This felt even easier for me than the euphonium and started liking the profound sound of the law frequencies. I am glad I took this long journey when I was still young, from the trumpet all the way down to the tuba. I learned how those instruments work and their abilities, this helped me a lot on playing the tuba as well as on arranging, witch I am very active nowadays.
· Who were your main teachers?
My teachers where Otto Gkogkas, George Rarakos and Prof. Jens Bjørn-Larsen.
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 with the Deutsche Oper Berlin since 2013. I have played with many major symphony and opera orchestras in Germany, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Gewandhaus orchestra in Leipzig, the Hamburg State Opera, the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin (DSO Berlin), the Stuttgart State Opera, among others.
I have played with orchestras outside Germany, such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Switzerland. In addition to that, I also played with the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, which is an ensemble specialized in contemporary music.
In 2019 I played a lot with the Stockholm Chamber Brass. I also conducted the Metallon Brass Ensemble from the Athens State Orchestra with exclusively my arrangements. Apart from that, we form brass quintet or brass ensemble with members of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and play chamber music concerts regularly.
In my studies in Hannover we used to form all forms of tuba ensembles, from tuba duets up to 14-part tuba orchestras!
I won first prizes in two of the most prestigious competitions for brass instruments. At the International Aeolus Competition in Düsseldorf (2010), apart from the first prize, I also won the special prize for contemporary music and the audience award. At the final round of this contest, every brass instrument is competing each other, witch makes it even more difficult for the tuba to win against the trumpet or the trombone.
At the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen (2012) I won the first prize. In addition, I have won prizes at the National Music Academy Competition in Lübeck (2011) and the International Brass Competition in Gdansk (2012).
The competitions gave me the chance to appear as a soloist with orchestras such as the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra in Essen, the orchestra of the Plauen-Zwickau Theater, the Göttinger Symphoniker, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the Gdansk Academy Orchestra, just to name a few.
About your ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCE:
- Tell us your experiences to access the orchestra place you currently occupy:
First, the Deutsche Oper Berlin offered a time contract and I took the audition for that and won, this was back in 2012. I played with them for some months and then there was an opening for the permanent position. Many tuba players from all over the world auditioned too.
I had to audition for my job twice.
- How was the selection process?
Usually, the group, after receiving the applications, decides witch candidates to invite to the audition, according to their orchestral experience, age, etc. In this case, the tuba player (my orchestra has two tuba positions) together with the trombone group. I had some experience when I applied, had played with professional orchestras in the past, to get an invitation wasn’t a problem.
- What works and / or orchestral solos were there as mandatory in the tests?
The list had all the classics! R.V.Williams tuba concerto with piano, F tuba excerpts from Berlioz to Bruckner, Bb tuba excerpts from Wagner to Mahler.
- Did you take any work of free choice? Which was?
This wasn’t an option.
In another sense:
- How is your current work in the orchestra of Opera?
The times we all experienced was difficult during the pandemic lockdown. We were not allowed to do what we love to do, this is really hard especially for the artists. I was fortunate enough to be able to go back and play in June.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin was the only opera company that got the permission to make a small production in an open air stage! We staged an arrangement of R.Wagner’s Rheingold for small orchestra. This felt like heaven after sitting home for so long time, practicing just for yourself (and the neighbours!).
- What recommendations would you give future Tuba players aspiring to an orchestral position?
I know it’s hard to get a job as a tuba player, there are not many opportunities, not many auditions. You have to perform your audition program in a certain way in order to make most people happy to get the job. This comes with a cost. Sometimes we tend to forget how WE like to play, how we want to sound, how we would like to phrase an excerpt. We always need to find the balance on that with the least sacrifice of our own taste.
Get inspiration from great performers, great orchestras, etc. not necessarily tuba players, not even brass players. We can learn from anything around us. I learned a lot listening to great opera singers, how they fraze, how they make words sound less or more important. You can steal ideas from everywhere.
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?
As I said before, I switched from euphonium to other lowbrass because the euphonium has no place in the symphony orchestra. In Germany, most euphonium players are mainly trombonists that play euphonium if you ask them to.
• How do you see the tuba and euphonium teaching today and with a view to the future?
You can study tuba in most places around the world in a very high level. A young tuba player should consider where to apply for studies, cause there are traditions from country to country. f.Ex. the american brass playing philosophy is much different than the let’s say the german.
For the euphonium, studying options are more limited. In the US, most tuba studios include euphonium students too. In Europe things are different.
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 started teaching periodically at the Hannover Music School, orchestral and solo literature in 2014. This is in form of masterclasses, twice or three times a year. Last year, I gave masterclasses for tuba and chamber music at the Rice University in Houston and at the Baylor University in Texas. In the past years I was invited to teach masterclasses in Athens, Greece.
· How do you organize your classes and the topic in general?
This depends on the student needs, I try to stay flexible and adapt on what the student needs the most. In the start, I usually let the student play for a longer time to be able to understand on what we need to focus.
I don’t believe that the teacher should have only one style of teaching. Every student is different. Especially on masterclasses, there are so many different levels, ages, etc.
· 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?
I strongly believe that a student should perform as often as possible. This makes you stronger as a performer and it’s the only way to get used to play in front of public, to learn to be exposed, to entertain the audience to enjoy it! But always be well prepared.
· 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?
I would choose a tuba student. The reason is that we would have much more to work on, according on my experience.
· What type of repertoire do you mainly work in?
I divide my practice schedule on:
This includes warm up exercises, technical exercises, etc. Both bass and contrabass tuba.
What I need to practice depending on what I have to perform:
If there is a solo appearance, I would focus my practice on that. If there is an orchestral piece I haven’t yet played coming, I would focus on learning it. This requires to listen to the work, study the score, etc.
When I have a new arrangement done for tuba I always like to test it out and of course make corrections, changes, etc.
· What warm-up exercises do you use?
I usually start my warming-up with slow, flowing exercises such as Stamp. I often make my own exercises. Then I do some flexibilities in different speeds, expanding the registers. Always alternate and modify them, This keeps me being creative.
This depends on how much time I have avaible.
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?
I believe most people around the world use very similar instruments, Melton, B&S, Yamaha, etc. This makes the sound already very similar. Of course, the language of the player influences the playing a lot.
· 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 always liked the B&S F tubas because they have a sound you can shape it in the way you like it. You can do a lot with it. For Bb tubas, I am a big fan of the old Kaiser tubas simply because they produce a sound very deep, profound and round that modern ones don’t do. There are other difficulties such as intonation you need to be extra careful with these old tubas.
You are a recognized interpreter in Germany but I like know about our instruments in your country.
Please tell us about the history of our instruments in your land.
Most of the modern german instrument makers have their origins to Graslitz-Bohemia, today is Kraslice-Czech Republic. There where many brass instrument factories and makers, such as Bohland&Fuchs. It is very interesting.
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.).
In my opinion, even though most of the players play very similar instruments or from same instrument makers, you can still hear the differences and be able to tell where they studied, what are there background. However, I each player is an individual with his own personal characteristics. For me these characteristics such as sound, articulation, frazing, musicality are more distinctive to a player.
Vikentios, it is a big pleasure and a great honor to count on your experience and collaboration in this series of interviews.
Thank you very much and best wishes.
