My Experience - The International Tuba and Euphonium Conference 2025, Spain - Plus instrument reviews!

As far as ITEC goes, I'm still a bit of a newbie. This was the 5th one I have attended. It is always a similar type of event, with presentations, recitals, masterclasses and concerts featuring some of the best soloists or ensembles out there in the low brass world. I am very proud of the performance I gave this year and have worked really hard to get to this point.

Soloist with Athena Brass Band

In order to attend ITEC you must be an ITEA member and you have to submit a proposal to the committee which outlines your proposed involvement. For a tuba or euphonium player, it is one of the best ways to get new music performed or to try and demonstrate your skills on a global stage.

However, there are no guarantees you will be accepted. And, worse, there is no guarantee how well your performance or event at the conference will be attended.

As I've mentioned in a past post about conferences, there is a large divide between the well known 'famous' names and the up and coming players and this is evident from the number of attendees for each concert at big conferences. There is so much happening, often two or three events at the same time, so you cannot attend everything even if you wanted too.

In Valencia, the ITEC was organised by the AETYA who did an amazing job, not just in organisation but also in promotion. Thank you so much for all your work and for allowing me to be part of it. There was a distinct local community feel. Many Spanish musicians and local ensembles were involved and I think a lot of audience members were not just tuba and euphonium players. This is something that is so important.

Euphonium Music

I submitted two proposals. One to perform a recital and one to perform a concerto with an ensemble. At past ITECs I have performed in the competition (I was a past finalist in one) and I have given solo recitals with piano accompaniment.

This year, I was invited to perform with The Athena Brass Band and I proposed I perform an older concerto called Euphonium Music by Brian Bowen. I thought it would be good to play something older, as many younger players might not have heard it before. It was composed in 1978, so is around the same era as the Joseph Horowitz Euphonium Concerto. It is around the same difficulty as well and both these works are so important to the euphonium. Players moving up past grade 7 ability really should be trying to learn both these pieces.

I have performed it with piano a few times in the past but never with a band. The brass band version is really fun for the band as well as the soloist, nice little solos for principal cornet especially. I loved the performance on stage and felt incredibly well prepared and confident. Feedback was great and that makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Athena Brass Band

The Athena Brass Band is an all female band, made up of players from all walks of life. Some are professional musicians, some play with other brass bands near where they live and some are students. If you are interested in applying to play for the band at a future event then get in touch via this link.

They are a great project based band, so they do not rehearse weekly. They worked very hard in the run up to the concert but I know they made the most of the social time and made sure to see all the sights of Valencia. What a brilliant organisation and one which deserves even more support. They sounded great and we're just lovely people.

Travelling With a Euphonium

I often get asked about how to travel with a euphonium. I've travelled a lot and my preference would be to carry my euphonium on board in a leather gig bag. This takes a bit of planning because the airline, exact plane type and how busy the flight might be can greatly impact this plan. If you are flying on a budget airline or smaller plane then forget it, unless you purchase a separate seat.

If you are flying long haul it is easier, the overhead bins on newer planes (787, A350 etc) are massive. But even these airlines have rules for cabin baggage and a euphonium will be way above the size limit. I would just try and not let the check in desk see it and board the plane as fast as possible when at the gate.

Nowadays, I always check my euphonium in with it's original hard case. I've used the same case and euph for over 12 years without any issues. I might take my gig bag with my clothes in so I can use my gig bag to carry my instrument around at the location.

Yes, it's FRAGILE!!

The most important things when checking in a musical instrument is to ensure the case is very clearly labelled fragile, make sure the case has some extra padding and always insist that it goes through the oversize baggage desk. This way, it should never be dropped and should be handled with care. This has always worked for me.

The trip to Valencia was quite a quick one for me because I had teaching commitments and a concert with Grimethorpe Band to work around.

This worked well though because at the conference there were no practice rooms. If I had been there longer I would have been wanting to practice a lot but because I basically had a day with rehearsals and then the concert day, I didn't feel the need to do much practice.

Rehearsal time!

After my performance, I had a few beers with a couple of friends and then braved the trade stands. Mainly so I could run my Grimethorpe concert solo through and practice a couple of other bits for the concert. But also to see what I thought of the euphs on show at the conference.

It is the best opportunity to test instruments, you can compare them directly with others and make as much noise as you want because loads of people are doing the same.

I have no need to change instruments, I love my Sterling Virtuoso. So I can and will be very critical of everything else.

Instrument Reviews

The only instruments unavailable at the time were Besson, which was a shame. There were some plastic euphoniums, rotary mutations and some 3 valve or other variations, I aimed to only test the professional level instruments with triggers.

These I did not test!

1) Shires. I've tried Shires euphoniums before and liked them. However, the different models do seem to vary noticeably. There was one Shires euph with a trigger and this was the one I tried. Valves were not great on this and worryingly the trigger stopped the main slide going all the way in because it's arm banged into the bottom cap of the 4th valve. It had a fiddly screw system to alter the amount the trigger moved, I'm not sure if this is the standard trigger they offer but it was not good at all, unusable in fact. It also had a lead pipe which could be detached, when I played on it, my mouthpiece was noticeably rocking, making it impossible to play. I spoke to the attendant at the stand who surprisingly dismissed it, seemed uninterested in the feedback and even said "don't buy it then, stick to what you have". I was a bit shocked by this, so I put the instrument down and moved on. Not a good start.

Shires

2) Wilson. There were no Wilsons with a trigger but there were three euphs available. The rep from the shop didn't seem to know the difference between the three. I chose the heavier one and it was okay. I didn't like the playing position or the height of the right hand false piece but it felt solid and in tune with a nice sound. Just a bit of vibration while playing louder and some notes which didn't feel as resonant.

Wiiiiillllllsssson!

3) Miraphone. I've tried this euph before and it always feels strange, like it is too wide and chunky. It has an over the top metal bar as a trigger/belly guard which looks horrible. I could never cope this this instrument, it lacks dexterity and clarity. Heavy large valves and an awkward holding position. I think for a larger person, maybe someone who plays the tuba a lot, this might be more suitable.

Miraphone

4) Yamaha. I've tried and liked the Yamaha Neo and Custom in the past. I tested the new Custom model which has a trigger but it just felt dead. The sound felt tight and less responsive and it vibrated a lot (this is not good by the way). The trigger just doesn't seem to be in the right place, causing me to need to use the 4th valve with the wrong finger. This is all personal stuff of course, I have long arms and fingers and some of these euphs just don't fit me. This is why testing is great because you can see how everything feels. I didn't like the Yamaha Custom but have liked this same instrument when I've played it before.

Yamaha Custom

5) Adams. There were a range of Adams euphs and tubas to test. Three euphoniums with triggers so I spent much longer at the Adams stand. Stunning looking instruments, while this isn't important to the sound necessary, I think it has done a lot to help market these instruments because with so many different options you feel a bit like your instrument is unique.

This is why I love my Sterling, because mine was made for me and there isn't another one the same. I think the Adams range has started now being a real contender in the brass band world. Whenever I tried Adams euphs in the past, they are always very easy to play, lighter and sweet sounding but they struggle when played as loud as possible. Two of the three on show were a bit like this but the gold one (in picture), boy, that was nice! It was a firm favourite amongst other players who were trying it.

I played it for a while, I ran through some solos on it and loved it. I spoke to Meil Adams (the boss) who said it had a lighter bell but extra weight added to the slides, to help with giving players that extra power you need in a brass band. The valves drop down inside the valve cap and this takes a bit of getting used too, plus the valve tops felt chunky but they do offer all sorts of customisations. But, at what price? I wasn't looking at the prices really but I would take a guess that this euph was the most expensive there.

The recognisable lead pipe adjuster is something I don't like. I don't think the difference is clear enough and it just gets in the way of vision a bit for me. Plus I'd worry that it might come loose while playing. I've never seen an Adams euph without this though and it must have some sort of design patent meaning no other brands can use it. A few Adams euphonium artists were always around the Adams stand playing on the instruments and chatting and I think this said a lot. Younger players really loved the interaction.

Adams - Best on show

6) Wessex. Well from the sublime to the ridiculous was the story as I transitioned from the Adams stand to the Wessex stand. Having already spoken to an ex representative of Wessex, who didn't have anything good to say, I was curious to try their latest euphonium with a trigger. It was kind of like swapping your car for a shopping trolley. It rattled, vibrated, had no resonance, valves were clunky and it just felt like it wouldn't last without something falling off. Never be fooled that these Chinese instruments are anywhere near the craftsmanship of Adams or maybe Besson. They are not worth the money.

You might be a player who doesn't need much from their instrument and is just happy playing once a week or in your local band but actually, this instrument would be horrendous for that. If left for periods of time without use, it will seize up and cause you more trouble.

If you do want a budget instrument, as I've said many times, the JP Sterling (JP374T) is by far the best value for money euphonium out there and in a totally different league to the Wessex. There were not any of these on show at ITEC sadly. Here is a past post about it.

Wessex was the worst

7) Cerveny Emperor. Now this was an interesting one because as most people know, in the UK, the brand Geneva exists and sell high end instruments, at quite a price tag. I tested some recently and there were very good things but also concerns. The Geneva, as far as I know is made in the Czech Republic in the Cerveny factory. Slight aesthetic differences but from playing it, it was very similar. One representative said "no, it's a completely different instrument" and another confirmed that it is basically the same thing. A Geneva in the UK, with trigger is (I think) around £8.5k, this Cerveny Emperor was about £5.5k. I'll just let you think about that for a while.

I did like the Cerveny Emperor though. I played through a few solos and apart from a few things related to ergonomics, I liked it. It didn't feel as solid as my Sterling and it did lack a bit of resonance on some notes (same thing I found with Geneva) but it had a full warm sound. The issue with this though can be that a big sound might cause clarity of articulation to suffer. This euph was my second favourite.

Cerveny / Geneva

Would the Besson Prestige have been at the top, I don't know because they weren't available as I mentioned already but it is an instrument that I have always liked.

8) Sterling. Okay, there were no Sterling euphoniums on show but it's worth just adding something here about how good my Sterling still is after playing it now for over 12 years. It's a head turner (or ear turner). Maybe my sound is different but everyone always asks what 'horn' I play on. The clarity of articulation achievable on it cannot be replicated. It is not easy to play, it takes effort with the air and it is heavy but I still love it.

Doing a bit of practice (in the hotel basement!)

The only issue I've been having recently is that my first and second slides sometimes fall out when playing loud. This is a serious problem which I need to sort but I managed to get away with it in the concert without any accidents.

The combination of the Sterling and the K&G 4D mouthpiece is just perfect for me. Whether it is big warm sounding melodies, fat pedals or projected high notes, the Sterling is the best. There might be some news related to Sterling still to come in the near future so keep a look out for that!

I get nothing in return for these comments, they are just my honest opinions. Others might say the opposite to me which is fine, and some people might tell you what is best just because they receive a commission. I'd love to be in that position and who knows what the future holds but for now, I hope this insight is interesting or just somewhat entertaining to read.

My ITEC trip came to an end before the official end of the conference but I had to leave in order to make a concert with Grimethorpe Colliery Band in Milton Keynes, UK on Sat 28th June. I'm writing this on the flight (which was 2 hours delayed) so fingers crossed I make it back in time!! Update - Yes, I made it to the concert!

Next week, I am back teaching with the Staffordshire Music Service and I am super excited to be helping out the Fodens Band on Sat 5th July in a concert. Slightly nervous, and in need of a lot of practice of the music but I'm sure it will be a great experience!

I have a music stand product review coming up soon, so look out for that!

Thanks for reading! ❤

Mark Glover

28/6/25