Monument, John Stevens. Tuba and Piano

John Stevens - Monument

An Elegy in Memory of Tommy Johnson (1935-2006)
for tuba and string orchestra
Edition for Tuba and Piano

About Monument:

American flavor
"Monument ", a nine minute Elegy for solo tuba and strings was commissioned by the renowned tuba icon Roger Bobo and dedicated to the memory of his great friend and esteemed colleague, tuba virtuoso Tommy Johnson (1935-2006).

The title was suggested by Roger Bobo as an appropriate way of remembering a man of exceptional stature, truly monumental and highly admired and respected by all of his friends, colleagues and students.

This work is intended to be an aural version of a monument; a way to permanently honor Tommy Johnson's legacy through the medium in which he worked. The music conveys a timeless sense of dignity, humanity and beauty, with an American flavor that reflects the era in which Tommy Johnson lived and worked.

John Stevens was born in Buffalo, New York (USA) in 1951. He holds degrees in Music Performance (tuba) from the Eastman School of Music (1973) and Yale University (1975). For many years John Stevens was a free-lance performer in New York City. From 1981 to 1985 he was on the faculty of the University of Miami (FL) School of Music. From 1985 to 2014 he was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, where he was Professor of tuba/euphonium, a member of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet and Director of the School. John Stevens has long been active as a composer and arranger, particularly for brass. Many of his compositions have become standard repertoire for performers all over the world.