Date: Mar 17, 2011

Hofstra Music Instructor Michael Salzman To Present a Tribute to His Mentor, Renowned Tuba Player and Teacher Harvey Phillips – "Mr. Tuba"

Sunday, March 27, 2011, 7:30 p.m., Fortunoff Theater

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … Hofstra University’s Tuba and Euphonium Instructor Michael Salzman, will present a lecture and recital on the teachings of Harvey Phillips, called a “Titan of Tuba” by The New York Times and highly regarded as one of the most important instrumentalists of our time. This free event will include works by composers Bach, Wilder, Persichetti, Sondheim and the premiere of “Home Again” by Thomas Davis. These selections represent important aspects of Mr. Phillips’ teaching and philosophy.

This concert is free and open to the public. It will take place on Sunday, March 27, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. at Hofstra University’s Fortunoff Theater, located at Monroe Lecture Center, California Avenue, South Campus.

Harvey Phillips passed away on October 20, 2010. In a full-page New York Times obituary, Mr. Phillips is credited as “the Heifetz of the tuba. In his time he was the instrument’s chief evangelist, the inspirer of a vast solo repertory, a mentor to generations of players and, more simple, Mr. Tuba.” In 1974 he began the annual tradition of tuba players performing en masse at the Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink during the Christmas holiday season. Professor Salzman is now a regional coordinator of that event, and there are 250 similar such tuba concerts around the world, all coordinated by the Harvey Phillips Foundation.

Professor Salzman’s relationship with Mr. Phillips spanned 35 years. He was Mr. Phillip’s student at Indiana University from 1979 to 1983, and they maintained a strong and lasting friendship. Professor Salzman notes that Mr. Phillips is also credited for starting Octubafest, a concert tradition at many universities and communities around the country, including Hofstra.

Professor Salzman said of Mr. Phillips, “At his funeral I decided that I would dedicate myself to his teachings and to making sure that as many young tuba players as possible learn about him, about what he accomplished, and about the type of lessons he passed on to his students.  I believe that it is now our responsibility to continue the legacy of this great teacher and to make sure that our students continue to grow and outshine even his expectations for players of our instrument.”

For more information on the March 27th concert, call the Hofstra Music Department at (516) 463-5490 or email michael.j.salzman@hofstra.edu .
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