Steven Mead

Steven Mead (born 1962 in Bournemouth, England) is an English virtuoso euphonium soloist and teacher who has played an important role in achieving worldwide recognition of the instrument.^[1][2][3] He has played solo concerti with symphony orchestras, including: the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic, Capella Cracoviensis, the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and the Japan Chamber Orchestra. He has premiered works by Martin Ellerby, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, Vladimir Cosma, Goff Richards, John Reeman, Rolf Rudin and Philip Sparke, amongst others. Goff Richards' Pilatus, Aagaard-Nilsen's Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra, Reeman's Sonata for Euphonium and Ellerby's Euphonium Concerto were all written expressly for Mead.^[4][5][6]

Selected recordings

• Joseph Horovitz: Four Concertos

Ensemble: Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Soloists: Andrew Haveron (violin), Steven Mead (euphonium), David Owen Norris (piano); Conductor Joseph Horovitz; Label: Dutton Epoch.

• Concertino

Ensemble: The Lillestrøm Musikkorps; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor Gert Buitenhuis; Label: Polyphonic.

• Euphonium Virtuoso

Ensemble: Brass Band Buizingen; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor: Luc Vertommen; Label: Bocchino.

• Dreamscapes: Wind Music by Ellerby, Clarke & Josephs

Ensemble: Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra; Soloist: Steven Mead (euphonium); Conductor: James Gourlay; Label: Polyphonic.

• Audacious

Soloist: Steven Mead; Accompanied by Tomoko Sawano, piano; Label: Bocchino.

• Fandango, released June 1, 2011; Accompanied by Tomoko Sawano, piano; Label: Bocchino.

References

1. Roy Newsome, The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the New Millennium, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006, p. 252. ISBN 0-7546-0717-8.
2. Peter Spaull, "Blowing in the wind my friends", Liverpool Daily Post, March 28, 2003. Accessed 10 September 2008.
3. Martin Stote, "Euphonium euphoria as BBC makes ban U-turn", Birmingham Post, March 25, 1999. Accessed via subscription 10 September 2008.
4. Notes on Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra on the official web site of Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen.
5. Lloyd Bone, Eric Paull, R. Winston Morris, Guide to the Euphonium Repertoire: The Euphonium Source Book, Indiana University Press, 2007, pp. 60 and 132. ISBN 0-253-34811-0
6. Roy Newsome, The Modern Brass Band: From the 1930s to the New Millennium, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006, p. 367.

• Rachel Dunlap, Mead to perform world-class talents on obscure brass instrument, Spectator Eau Claire, January 25, 2001. Accessed 10 September 2008.
• Ronald Holz, Review: Euphonium Virtuoso (Bocchino CD BOCC107), The Brass Band Bridge, North American Brass Band Association, Issue 101, October 2006. pp. 21–22. Accessed 10 September 2008.
• Steven Mead biography on the Besson company web site. Accessed 10 September 2008.

External links

• Steven Mead's official website
• Video of a live unedited performance, most of the third movement of the Hallows Concerto (Rolf Rudin) in a performance given by Steven at The Capitol Theatre, Offenbach, Germany on Sunday 15 March 2009, with the Neue Philharmonie Orchestra, conductor Roland Boer