top of page

Nationally recognized with a distinct tradition of developing leaders in a variety of musical fields, the Florida State University Tuba & Euphonium Studio is nestled within one of the most comprehensive College of Music programs in the country. Through individualized instruction, healthy competition, and an enthusiastic esprit-de-corps, every student in the studio is encouraged to make the most of their musical potential.

Under the direction of Dr. Justin Benavidez, the studio is comprised of students majoring in music performance, music education, music therapy, and music theory, totaling 26 undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States. All students participate in a tuba/euphonium chamber ensemble and attend weekly studio classes that cover a range of performance and pedagogical topics. 

The studio maintains an active performance schedule on and off campus. Studio ensembles have been invited for performances at the 2018, 2020, and 2022 Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conferences, the 2019 and 2023 United States Army Band Tuba Euphonium Workshops, and the 2019 International Tuba Euphonium Conference.

Prospective students interested in auditioning for the FSU Tuba and Euphonium Studio can find more information at our webpage.  

 

STUDENT SUCCESS

COMPETITIONS

2023 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference

Chris Bloom - Semifinalist, Arnold Jacobs Mock Orchestra Audition

Sebastian Bravo - Semifinalist, Solo Tuba Young Artist Competition

Xavier Gauthier - Semifinalist, Solo Tuba Young Artist Competition

Ryan Sorenson - Semifinalist, Solo Tuba Artist Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Semifinalist, Solo Euphonium Artist Competition

Meltdown Quartet - Semifinalist, Small Ensemble Competition

2022 Leonard Falcone Festival Solo Competition

Chris Bloom - First Place, Artist Tuba Competition

Ramón Garavito - Semifinalist, Artist Tuba Competition

Sam Morris - Third Place, Young Artist Tuba Competition

Ryan Sorenson - Alternate, Artist Tuba Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Third Place, Artist Euphonium Competition

2022 Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (University of Kentucky)

Chris Bloom - First Place - Solo Artist Tuba Competition, Finalist - Mock Orchestra Audition

 

2022 Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (Kennesaw State University)

Chris Bloom - First Place - Mock Orchestra Audition, Third Place - Solo Artist Tuba Competition, Finalist - Mock Band Audition

Anthony Borda - Finalist - Solo Artist Tuba Competition

Ramón Garavito - Second Place - Mock Orchestra Audition, Finalist - Mock Band Audition

Samuel Morris - First Place - Young Artist Tuba Competition

Ryan Sorenson - First Place - Solo Artist Tuba Competition

FSU Tuba/Euphonium Quartet (Chris Bloom, Daniel McAllister, Ryan Sorenson, Jonah Zimmerman) - Second Place, Quartet Competition

2022 United States Army Band Tuba Euphonium Workshop Solo Euphonium Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Finalist

2021 Leos Janacek International Competition

Ramón Garavito, Jr. - Semifinalist, Solo Tuba

2021 Leonard Falcone Festival Solo Competition

Matthew Morejon - Semifinalist, Young Artist Tuba Competition

2021 Stars and Shipes Mock Audition Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Semifinalist

2021 International Mock Audition Competition

Daniel Mentzer - Semifinalist

2021 Virtual Tuba Euphonium Conference

Jonah Zimmerman - Honorable Mention, Adult Euphonium Solo Competition

2020 Leonard Falcone Festival Solo Competition

Brandon Smith - Bronze Medalist, Artist Tuba Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Silver Medalist, Artist Euphonium Competition

2020 International Euphonium Tuba Festival

Jonah Zimmerman - First Place Winner, Solo Artist Competition

2020 Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (Kennesaw State University)

Anthony Borda - Finalist, Solo Tuba Young Artist Competition

Ian Graves - Finalist, Mock Tuba Audition

Brandon Smith - Finalist, Solo Tuba Artist Competition

Ryan Sorenson - Finalist, Solo Tuba Artist Competition

Austin Thornton - Finalist, Solo Euphonium Young Artist Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Finalist, Mock Euphonium Audition

FSU Tuba/Euphonium Quartet (Ian Graves, Jordan Masone, Brandon Smith, Jonah Zimmerman) - Finalist, Chamber Music Competition

2020 Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (University of Kentucky)

Jonah Zimmerman - Finalist, Mock Euphonium Audition; Finalist, Solo Euphonium Artist Competition

2020 United States Army Band National Collegiate Solo Competition

Jonah Zimmerman - Finalist (Euphonium)

2020 United States Army Band Tuba Euphonium Workshop Solo Tuba Competition

Brandon Smith - Finalist

2020 Online Brass Championships

Jonah Zimmerman - Best Euphonium

2019 Leonard Falcone Festival Solo Competition

Ian McCollum - Semifinalist, Artist Euphonium Competition

2019 International Tuba Euphonium Conference (University of Iowa)

Brandon Smith - First Place Winner, Arnold Jacobs Mock Tuba Audition

2018 Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (Florida State University)

Colby Hollingsworth - Finalist, Solo Tuba Artist Competition

Ian McCollum - Second Place, Solo Euphonium Artist Competition

FSU Tuba/Euphonium Quartet (Harrison Brown, Chris Martin, Sheldon Martin, Ian McCollum) - Second Place, Chamber Music Competition

SUMMER ORCHESTRA FESTIVALS AND WORKSHOPS

2022

Chris Bloom - Low Brass Bootcamp

Sam Morris - Low Brass Bootcamp

Levi Vickers - Brevard Music Festival Low Brass Seminar

Jonah Zimmerman - Low Brass Bootcamp

2021

Anthony Borda - Eastern Music Festival

Harrison Brown - Sewanee Music Festival

2020

Harrison Brown - Sewanee Music Festival

Austin Thornton - Eastern Music Festival

2019

Ian Graves - Eastern Music Festival

Daniel Mentzer - Sewanee Music Festival

2018

Harrison Brown - Sewanee Music Festival

AUDITION SUCCESS

2023

Chris Bloom - Semifinalist, United States Navy Band Tuba Audition

Daniel Mentzer - Winner, United States Navy Band Tuba Audition

2022

Chris Bloom - Semifinalist, United States Army Ceremonial Band Tuba Audition; Semifinalist, United States Navy Band Tuba Audition

Michael Chou - Semifinalist, United States Coast Guard Band Euphonium Audition

2021

Ramón Garavito - Winner, Ocala Symphony Orchestral Substitute Tuba Audition

Brandon Smith - Semifinalist, United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass Tuba Audition; Semifinalist, United States Air Force Band of Mid-America Tuba Audition; Finalist, United States Navy Band Tuba Audition; Semifinalist, United States Air Force Academy Band

Ryan Sorenson - Semifinalist, United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass Tuba Audition; Semifinalist, United States Navy Band Tuba Audition

2019

Jesse McConnell - Winner, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Substitute Tuba Audition 

Brandon Smith - Semifinalist, Louisville Orchestra Principal Tuba Audition; Finalist, The Florida Orchestra Principal Tuba Audition

Jonah Zimmerman - Semifinalist, United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass Euphonium Audition

PLACEMENT BEYOND FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

2022

Harrison Brown (MM 2022) - Accepted for DMA studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder; Accepted for DMA studies at the University of West Virginia; Accepted for DMA studies at the University of Kentucky

Matthew Fix (BME 2022) - Appointed Music Teacher at Coquina Elementary School, Titusville, FL

Drew Herring (BME 2022) - Appointed Music Teacher at MetroWest Elementary School, Orlando, FL

Belton Morgan (BM Therapy 2022) - Board Certified Music Therapist at Perfect Harmony Health, Roswell, GA

Shane O'Leary (BME 2022) - Appointed Director of Bands and Choir, West Hernando Middle School, Brooksville, FL

2021

Ian Graves (MM 2020) - Accepted with graduate assistantship for DMA studies at Michigan State University

Daniel Mentzer (BM 2021) - Accepted with scholarship for MM studies at Indiana University; Accepted with graduate assistantship for MM studies at Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music; Accepted with graduate assistantship for MM studies at Carnegie Mellon University; Accepted for MM studies at New England Conservatory

Dillards Polikarpov (BME 2021) - Appointed Music Director, Madison Creative Arts Academy, Madison, FL

Brandon Smith (DM 2021) - Appointed Artist in Residence, Valdosta State University; Appointed Principal Tuba, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra; Appointed Principal Tuba, Albany Symphony Orchestra (GA)

Brantley West (BME 2020) - Appointed Director of Bands, Lake Minneola High School, Minneola, FL

Jonah Zimmerman (MM 2021) - Accepted with graduate assistantship for DMA studies at George Mason University; Accepted with graduate assistantship for DM studies at Florida State University

2020

AJ Arcia (BME 2019) - Appointed Director of Bands, Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Jacksonville, FL

Harrison Brown (BM 2020) - Accepted with scholarship to MM studies at New England Conservatory

Turner Gray (BA 2019) - Accepted with scholarship for MM studies at Northwestern University; Accepted with graduate assistantship for MM studies at Washington State University

Ian Graves (MM 2020) - Accepted with scholarship for DMA studies at the University of Miami

Chris Martin (BM 2018) - Accepted with teaching fellowship for DMA studies at the University of North Texas

Sheldon Martin (BME 2019) - Appointed Director of Bands, Heritage Middle School, Deltona, FL

Spencer Oyster (BME 2020) - Appointed Director of Bands, Marathon Middle/High School, Marathon, FL

Justin Snively (BME 2020) - Appointed Director of Bands and Orchestra, Stone Magnet Middle School, Melbourne, FL

Lina Tabak (BM 2019) - Appointed Instructor of Music Theory, The Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY

2019

Colby Hollingsworth (BME 2018) - Appointed Director of Bands, Heritage High School, Palm Bay, FL

Stephen Mayo (BME 2019) - Appointed Associate Director of Bands, Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Ian McCollum (DM 2019) - Appointed Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Jonathan Sims (BME 2019) - Appointed Director of Bands and Orchestra at Hillsborough High School, Tampa, FL

Lina Tabak (BM 2019) - Accepted with scholarship for PhD studies at CUNY

2018

Elyse Frezza (BME 2018) - Appointed Music Teacher, Pride Elementary School, Deltona, FL

Chris Martin (BM 2018) - Accepted with scholarship for MM studies at the University of North Texas

Each year, we host several distinguished guest artists for recitals and master classes. These guests have included:

 

2022-2023

Isomer Tuba Euphonium Quartet

New World Symphony Low Brass

Beth Wiese, Appalachian State University

2021-2022

University of Kentucky Faculty Brass Quintet

Warren Deck, New York Philharmonic (retired)

Scott Devereaux, The United States Army Field Band

James Jenkins, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra

Steven Mead, International Solo Artist and Royal Northern College of Music

Aaron Tindall, University of Miami

2020-2021

Chris Blaha, University of Akron

Tim Buzbee, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Scott Cameron, The United States Army Field Band (retired)

Mark Jenkins, The "President's Own" United States Marine Band

Don Little, University of North Texas

Erik Lundquist, The United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass

John Manning, University of Iowa

Tom McCaslin, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Steven Mead, International Solo Artist and Royal Northern College of Music

David Saltzman, Toledo Symphony Orchestra

Ryan Robinson, Oklahoma State University

Michael Roylance, Boston Symphony Orchestra and New England Conservatory of Music

Ben Vasko, Valdosta State University

​​

2019-2020

Canadian Brass

Aubrey Foard, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Adam Frey, University of North Georgia

Thomas Leleu, International Solo Artist

Daniel Rowland, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Justin Stowe, The 282nd United States Army Band

2018-2019

Presidio Brass

Fritz Kaenzig, University of Michigan

Alex Lapins, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Charles Villarrubia, University of Texas at Austin

2017-2018

Axiom Brass

Austin Howle, Montreal Symphony Orchestra

Jarrett McCourt, New World Symphony

Kazuhiro Nakamura, Osaka College of Music

Bill Pritchard, Amplituba

David Zerkel, University of Georgia

bottom of page