Steven Needham
Dr. Yevgeny Yontov, piano

Michael Fahrner
Stephen Eckert, piano

Friday, May 17, 2024

1:30 P.M. Donnell Theatre
Wolfe Center for the Arts

Program

Steven Needham
Dr. Yevgeny Yontov, piano

Sweet Dances | Elizabeth Raum
          I. Blew Tango
         IV. A Hard Knight's Day

Concerto for Tuba and Piano | Arlid Plau
          I. Prolog
         II. Canzone
        III. Finale

Jabba the Hut | John Williams

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Fahrner
Stephen Eckert, piano

Philosophies and Poetry

Vita in motu | Hope Salmonson 

The Passing of a Wave | Noah Slade
     *premiere
          Oh, here comes a wave

          I cannot swim away
          It sweeps me up
          It throws me this way and that way
          It pulls me under
          I float to the surface

          Oh, there goes a wave

Basho's Seasons | Steve Wilkinson
     *premiere
          I. Winter Solitude
         II. The Bush Warbler
        III. It’s Gracious
         IV. In This Autumn  

Steven-3-Steven-Needham

Known for his clear sound, versatility, and energy in performance. Washington DC based tubist Steven Needham is in high demand as a performer and educator throughout the US.

Steven has shared the stage with some of the finest musicians in the world performing as Guest Principal Tuba with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, New World Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, and Santa Fe Symphony amongst others. Steven is a former member of the Magnolia City Brass Band, the Gulf Coast Brass Quintet and has performed extensively with the New Mexico Philharmonic Brass Quintet, Houston Symphony Brass Quintet, Enchantment Brass, and Texas Brass. During the summers Steven has earned fellowship positions with the Napa Valley Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, Mostly Modern Music Festival, and Texas Music Festival. 

A committed educator, Steven has become one the most successful and highly sought after low brass teachers. He lead the most competitive private low brass studio in the greater Houston area. Many of Steven’s students have advanced at professional auditions, received fellowships at major music festivals, earn scholarships from top music schools, and continuously place in honor ensembles and competitions at the state, national, and international level.

Steven completed his undergraduate studies at the University of New Mexico and received his Masters Degree from the Peabody Conservatory, where he received the Yale Brody Memorial and Richard Hart/Eugene Sheffers Scholarships. He continued additional graduate studies at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music. His primary teachers include David Kirk, Mark Barton, David Fedderly, and Dr. Richard White.

DSC-6841-Michael-Fahrner

Michael Fahrner (he/him) is a passionate euphonium artist and dedicated pedagogue based in Philadelphia, PA. Michael serves as Adjunct Professor of Euphonium at Rowan University and low brass faculty of Rowan Community Music School, and maintains a private studio virtually around Philadelphia. Michael has also served as Assistant Director of the Atlantic Youth Brass Band, brass faculty of Settlement Music School’s Music Education Pathways program. 

Michael is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music Arts in Euphonium Performance at Temple University. Michael received his Bachelor of Music in Euphonium Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned his Master of Music in Euphonium Performance from Georgia State University.

Michael performs regularly with and has been a featured soloist with the Atlantic Brass Band, a North American Brass Band Association Championship Ensemble. An avid chamber musician, Michael performs with the Legato Pesante Tuba Quartet. Previously, Michael performed with The Philadelphia Wind Symphony and the Novi Duo. Michael has competed internationally at the South East Tuba Euphonium Conference and at the Lieksa Brass Week in Lieska, Finland. 

As an administrator, Michael serves as the festival chair for the Mid-Atlantic Brass Band Festival, hosting 200+ participants for a two-day British brass band festival. Previously, Michael worked at SchoolofBrass.com, an online brass education community that hosted masterclasses and live streams with top international brass artists, the International Euphonium Tuba Conference, and the Atlanta Homeward Choir.

Follow along with Michael on Instagram as @mikeplayseuph or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MikeFahrnerEuph

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Audience members are reminded to silence alarm watches, pagers and cellular phones before the performance. As a matter of courtesy and copyright law, no recording or unauthorized photographing is allowed. BGSU is a nonsmoking campus.

Updated: 09/19/2024 09:38AM