Know This Brass PlayerTuba/Euphonium

Velvet Brown

This post is part of a series called Know This Brass Player which features significant brass players from all over the world.

Name: Velvet Brown

Instrument: Tuba

Location: USA

Significance: Velvet Brown is no stranger to the low brass world. She received her training at Boston University and was a student of David McCollum. As a tuba soloist, she has produced four solo recordings and given recitals, masterclasses, and other appearances all over the world. As an ensemble musician, Ms. Brown has performed with groups such as the Detroit Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, River City Brass Band, and Howard Johnson’s “Gravity” Tuba Jazz Ensemble. Currently, she is the tubist for the Altoona Symphony, Stiletto Brass Quintet, Monarch Brass, Junction Tuba Quartet, the Pennsylvania BrassWorks and the New Hampshire Music Festival.

In addition to these experiences, Ms. Brown is also a highly sought-after educator. She has been the Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Pennsylvania State University since 2003. Before teaching at Penn State, she was on the faculty at Bowling Green State, Ball State, and Boston University. Ms. Brown has served the brass community by being on several committees for the International Tuba and Euphonium Association, as well as being a founding member of the International Women’s Brass Conference.

Jeremy Smith

Jeremy E. Smith is the Founder and Editor of Last Row Music. He received music degrees from Grace College, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Ohio State University. Currently, Jeremy is the bass trombonist of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, the Huntington Symphony Orchestra, and performs throughout Ohio, where he lives with his wife and two sons. Smith is a member of the International Trombone Association and the Jazz Journalists Association.