Spanish Brass Residency
The Spanish Brass Residency at the University of included a brass area masterclass, where three brass chamber groups received expert coaching and separate studio masterclasses for each studio. The residency also included an outstanding recital by the Spanish Brass as well as individual lessons for eight students.
Gene Pokorny Low Brass Seminar
After my Chicago trip, I attended the Gene Pokorny Low Brass Seminar at Northern Illinois University. Masterclasses, coachings and performances featuring such noteable players as Gene Pokorny (tuba, Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Mason Soria (tuba, Los Angeles Philharmonic), Randy Hawes, bass trombone (Detroit Symphony Orchestra), Sasha Romero (principal trombone, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Mark Fisher (trombone, Lyric Opera of Chicago and faculty from Northern Illinois University, including Andrew Glendening, Matt Gaunt, and Tim Riordan.
Chicago Trip
At the beginning of August, I took a "Me-cation" and spent a fun day alone in Chicago. I went on a brewery tour in a keg-shaped bus, went to the Art Institute, and took a sunset sail on the Tallship Windy.
Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar 2024
Since 1993, the Atlantic Brass Quintet Seminar has trained brass musicians through brass chamber music. This summer, we held it at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. It is always rewarding to witness the progress that these student brass quintets make over two short weeks. Besides daily coachings, masterclasses, and performance classes, this year included a pop-up concert at a nearby farm ice cream store and an art therapy day.
June 23-29
I spent an amazing week in Orvieto, Italy for the first Tuba Fest of the Musica Orvieto Festival. Students participated in chamber music, as well as in large ensembles and attended masterclasses present by the faculty, which included Velvet Brown, Dr. Dan Burdick , Luka Einfalt and Professor Manning.
Mostly Modern Festival 2024
For the fifth year, I spent three weeks at the Mostly Modern Festival at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Atlantic Brass serve on the faculty, play in the Mostly Modern Orchestra, and play a recital including numerous premieres by the student composers.
Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference 2024
The University of Iowa tuba/euphonium ensemble, Collegium Tubum, performed a recital at the Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
I premiered a new work composed by one of my graduate students, Drew Bonner, called Alakazam with the Colorado Brass. I also adjudicated a few of the competitions.
The highlight of the conference for us were the award my students received in the competitions. Matthew Dulas wond 2nd Place in the Artist Euphonium category, John Reyna wond 1st Place in the Tuba Artist Category and the tuba-euphonium quartet called "TOAST" earned 1st Place in the Chamber Music Category, which includes Matthew Dulas and Jimmy Pelini on euphonium, and Drew Bonner and John Reyna on tuba. Go TubaHawks!
TubaHawks Workshop 2024
On May 11th, my students from the University of Iowa and I presented a "TubaHawks Workshop" for high school and junior high school students in Rock Island, IL.
From May 1-5, 2024 Professor Manning returned to his roots in New England on tour with the Atlantic Brass Quintet. They presented masterclasses at Boston University, the University of New Hampshire, and a recital in Nashua, NH.
Jim Self Residency
April 15-19
Famous Hollywood tuba player and long-time Tuba Professor at USC, Jim Self, spent a week with us that included masterclasses, performances and presentation. Students and faculty performed in a special chamber music concert featuring Jim's compositions, Jim performed a jazz set with our students, and the Symphony Band performed his work Tour de Force. Jim and his wife are generous benefactors to our studio and the second of 25 Jim and Jamie Self Scholarships was awarded to freshman, Bryson Kinnan.
March 3-7, the acclaimed brass quartet , The Westerlies held a residency at the University of Iowa thanks to our "Iowinds Initiative". These versatile musicians gave masterclasses, performed a lecture recital, sat in on our monthly Jazz Jam, and presented a pair of concerts at Hancher Auditorium's Strauss Hall.
U.S. Army Band Tuba Euphonium Conference
February 1-3, 2024
2024 has been very busy for John Manning, starting with the U.S. Army Band Tuba Euphonium Workshop. The University of Iowa tuba/euphonium ensemble, Collegium Tubum presented a recital of music by African-American composers, in honor of Black History Month at Joint Base Meyer, in Arlington, VA.