Tuba player back from study tour

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 5

Tuba player back from study tour

Wellington reporter A Christchurch musician. Ken Young, has returned to his post as principal tuba with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra after a tour-month study tour in the United States on a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council study grant. He has been with the orchestra since 1976. Tuba players use a lot of air, and the main reason for his trip was to gain a good breathing technique. He studied the tuba with some top American players. including the principal tubists with the Cleveland, Chicago and New York Philharmonic orchestras. Mr'Young, aged 23, was educated at Cashmere High School. He began playing with the Skellerup Woolston Junior Band when aged seven and played the euphonium for its senior band from 197475. when the band won several national championships. His brother, Graham Young, played the tuba for the band, and Ken Young played the tuba for the National Youth Band in 1972 and 1973. In 1974 he shifted as tuba player to the National Youth Orchestra, and in 1975 accompanied it on its world tour, buying own tuba while in Japan.

He studied for his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Canterbury from 1974 to 1975 and in 1976 he was trying to complete his degree at Auckland University when the post of tubist fell vacant in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He obtained the post, hut still needs three out of the 24 papers to complete his degree. His father, Mr Ron Young, played the cornet in the Skellerup Woolston Band for many vears. Ken gave up the cornet when aged 13. He is not keen on the trumpet and has never played the trombone or the french horn: his commitment to the tuba is now complete. He intends to stay on with the orchestra as a professional player of the tuba. Ken Young belies the traditional image of rotund, gargantuan, tuba players. He found that even his slim uuild was substantially bigger than that of the principal tubists with whom he studied in the United States. His wife, Jo, who nas played as a cellist with the New Zealand Symphony Orcehstra, accompanied him to the United States and is still studying there. She is expstlad to return in the middle of the vear.