The 25th Annual OU “Octubafest” commenced on Wednesday in the Glidden Hall recital hall, featuring a series of recitals throughout October organized by OU tuba professor Jason Smith. While the tuba takes center stage, the euphonium, mellophone, trombone, and piano are also part of the event.
Founded by Harvey Phillips, affectionately known as the “father of the tuba,” Octubafest has played a crucial role in redefining the instrument’s presence in music. Smith remarked on Phillips’ legacy, noting how he elevated the tuba solo and chamber ensemble from the background to a position of prominence. The inaugural Octubafest took place at Indiana University in 1974.
Today, hundreds of universities across the nation host their own Octubafests, along with various performances aimed at promoting the tuba and other brass instruments, such as Tubachristmas. OU has participated in Octubafest since 1999, when Smith established the tradition. While some institutions host more than four recitals monthly, Smith chooses to limit the schedule to avoid overwhelming the students, allowing them to rehearse before their first performance.
Due to the tuba’s low range, solo performances are rare.
During the event, Lucas Borges, associate professor of trombone, performed alongside pianist Hanna Chung. Although Smith and Borges do not often share recitals, this collaboration fit well within their schedules for this Octubafest, marking Chung’s first performance at the event.
Borges and Chung presented “Memories for Trombone” by Keiko Takashima, which Borges expressed excitement about playing. They also featured “Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4” by Ferdinand David, a piece Borges described as demanding precision.
Smith, accompanied by Chung, performed “Sonata in A Minor” by Benedetto Marcello and “Reflections from the Mississippi” by Michael Daugherty, originally composed for Tuba Wind Symphony. In this piece, the tuba alternates between high and low notes, creating a dialogue within itself that gradually descends. The music fades before making a triumphant comeback.
Additionally, Smith played “Orientale” from “Cantos de España” by Isaac Albéniz, a transcription of a piano work, and “Rumanian Dance No. 2” by Romanian composer Dumitru Ionel, which Smith described as “a fast, technical show-off type piece.” The lively piano accompaniment sets an energetic tempo reminiscent of a fight scene, with the tuba building in intensity.
Smith, Borges, and Chung also performed “Cat Affairs” by Norwegian composer Anna Baadsvik, who is married to Øystein Baadsvik, one of the world’s renowned tuba players.
Many attendees were students scheduled to perform in upcoming Octubafest recitals. A key aim of Octubafest at OU is to showcase students, providing them with valuable practice and exposure.
The music students demonstrated strong support for Octubafest, erupting into applause whenever the professors took the stage.
Elijah Jenkins, a graduate student, commented that the concerts “expose people to the potential of the tuba as a solo instrument and what the tuba can do.”
The next concert will feature Ohio Brass, the faculty brass quintet, with trumpeters Max McNutt and Caeley Hovaneac, Scott Smith on French horn, and Lucas Borges and Jason Smith on trombone and tuba. Following that, students will perform in small ensembles and solo acts.
The final event of Octubafest will be a lecture recital titled “Recruiting Euphonium Players Through Band Excerpts,” presented by associate professor Lloyd Bone from Glenville State University. Octubafest offers a unique opportunity for audiences to experience music that is seldom heard.
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