Euphonium virtuoso Steven Mead has been on the road non stop for the last 6 months, taking his euphonium to some of the leading concert venues around the world, as well as participating in some events that had a slight 'missionary' feel to them.

New works

As well as performing several new works with brass and wind bands, Steve has also been engaged with masterclasses and workshops in countries with emerging brass band traditions.

Since February Steve has been to the Netherlands, Spain, Malta, Germany (three times), Switzerland, USA (three times), Latvia, Peru, France, China, Austria (four times), Italy and Lithuania.

Lithuania

He has just returned from a weeklong summer course in Trakai, Lithuania, an event that is now a permanent booking in his diary, and told 4BR:

"The musicians there are so responsive, with seemingly inexhaustible energy. It’s always a tremendous week with conductor Luc Vertommen. This year I played Bizet’s Carmen Fantasy with the band, as well as playing a suite of pieces by Piazzolla with a string quartet in the middle of the week."

I gave the first euphonium masterclass at the Beijing National Music Conservatory at the end of April and there are green shoots of excellence everywhere I wentSteven Mead

Sicily

The week before this Steve played three concerts on the island of Sicily, with the Messina Brass Band, who recently made their debut at the European Brass Championships in Montreux, in what was a very happy 10th anniversary return for the star.

Austria

Just before his Italian trip, Steve delivered a premiere performance of Hermann Pallhuber’s new euphonium work entitled 'Bliss', as part of the famous Promenade Concert Series in Innsbruck, with the popular Stadtmusikkappelle Wilten Band.

The concert followed a three day euphonium masterclass in Innsbruck, and the following day he played a concert with trombonist Lito Fontana and his quartet at the Corinthian Summer Festival in Austria.

Peru

Steve told 4BR that it has been something of a globe trotting few months:

"I was in Lima for the ‘Peru Low Brass Festival’ recently alongside Christian Lindberg. There were over a hundred students on the course and I feel sure that the brass world in South America is continuing to develop well."

He added: "I also travelled to work with the Latvian Brass Band in Riga and was thoroughly impressed with the passion they have there to play in a brass band. The sense of the desire with the musicians embarking with new bands in these countries is truly heart-warming."

China

However, it was the emerging Chinese passion for all things brass that really caught Steve’s imagination:

"The brass scene I found in China is very encouraging. I gave the first euphonium masterclass at the Beijing National Music Conservatory at the end of April and there are green shoots of excellence everywhere I went."

He continued: "I was invited to work with two of the top high school bands in Beijing and was immensely impressed with the discipline and responsiveness of the young musicians."

Italy

And despite the opportunity to enjoy a short break at home, Steve will be on his travels once again after he returns from his final travel log at the Italian Brass week where he is part of an all star line up of 20 teachers including Ian Bousfield and Oystein Baadsvik, as well as other brass players from the Berlin Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Short break

"That’s it for a little while," he said breathlessly, although he did reveal that he will be hopping on a plane again in a few days time to enjoy a family break in Egypt.