Bob Tucci

Biography

Robert Tucci is a native of western Pennsylvania. He grew up in a musical family and benefited from early musical training in the local public school system. In 1955 he began private study with Harold McDonald, tubist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and joined the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.

From 1958-60 Mr. Tucci attended the De Paul University School of Music in Chicago, studied with Arnold Jacobs and became a member of the Chicago Civic Symphony.

By virtue of a recomendation by Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Tucci became a member of the Louisville Orchestra in 1960. Academic studies continued at the University of Louisville where he received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education in 1962.

In 1962 Mr. Tucci took part in the Jackson Hole Fine Arts festival before relocating to Vienna, Austria. He enrolled at the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst where an honors degree was awarded in 1965. Mr. Tucci quickly established himself as an orchestral musician, joining first the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and later, the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Philharmonic.

In 1966 Mr. Tucci joined the United States Army Field Band where he served until 1969. During 1969-70 he played for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1970 Mr. Tucci returned to Europe, accepted a position with the orchestra of the State Theatre in Kassel before the becoming a member of the orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera in 1972.

Mr. Tucci has performed with most major orchestras in the German speaking countries. These include the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Baden Württemberg and the Symphony Orchestra of the South German Radio in Stuttgart, the orchestras in Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Ulm, Regensburg, Innsbruck, Zurich, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona and at La Scala in Milan.

Mr. Tucci was instructor of tuba at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich from 1974-83 and has held the same position at the Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart. He has appeared as a soloist and clinician in the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Japan. In 1998 he performed with "Summit Brass" on their first European tour and at the Raphael Mendez Brass Institute in Cincinnati.

In 1970 Mr. Tucci began a cooperative effort with Custom Music Company of Ferndale, Michigan, to work with European manufacturers of brasswind instruments, mouthpieces and accessories. Since that time these products have established themselves with musicians worldwide.

Aside from musical responsibilities as a member of the Bavarian State Opera Mr. Tucci operates a business and studio in Munich, dedicated to the interests of Euphonium and tuba players.

From: International Tuba Euphonium Association Honorary Life Members