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Tuba, Euphonium
Tubaphonium Ensemble
IUP Brass Ensemble
Gary Bird, Professor of Music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of
Wisconsin-River Falls (1968), a Master of Music in Tuba Performance from the
University of North Texas (1971) and a Doctor of Music from Indiana
University, Bloomington (1992). He has studied with Professors Conrad
DeJong and Charles Dalkert, Dr. David Kuehn of the University of North
Texas, Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony, Ronald Bishop of the Cleveland
Orchestra and most recently with the eminent Harvey Phillips of Indiana
University.
He has been principal tubist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the
North Texas State University Graduate Wind Ensemble, Indiana University
(Bloomington) Festival Orchestra and is presently principal tubist of the
Johnstown and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestras. He has also performed with
the River City Brass Band, is Director of Music at Zion Lutheran Church in
Indiana, Pa., and has performed with Harvey Phillips in Carnegie Hall in New
York City. He has performed numerous solo recitals, been soloist with
orchestras and bands and has also been a guest clinician at high schools and
colleges across the state.
Dr. Bird is a founding member of the Colonial Tuba Quartet, a group
dedicated to commissioning and performing new works for tuba/euphonium
quartet. Performances with this group have included the International
Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Sapporo, Japan in August, 1990, the New York
Brass Conference for Scholarships in March, 1991, the International
Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Lexington, KY in May, 1992, two performance
tours of Europe in June of 1993 and 1995, and a performance at the New York
State School Music Association Conference. The group has recently completed
its first CD entitled "Spectraphonics".
In August of 1994, Dr. Bird had his first book published, Program Notes
for the Solo Tuba, by Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN. He was
named "Teacher of the Year" in 1987 by the PMTA (Pennsylvania Music Teachers
Association).
His duties at IUP include the teaching of Tuba and Euphonium, the IUP Tubaphonium
Ensemble, the IUP Brass Ensemble, Introduction to Music and tubist with the
Hoodlebug Brass. He has been the conductor of the following IUP Music and
Theater Departments productions: West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar,
The Fantasticks, The Pirates of Penzance, Working, On
the Town, My Fair Lady,
Hair, West Side Story, Cabaret, and Into the Woods, Kiss
Me Kate and A New Brain.
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