Kevin Wass

Kevin Wass, Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Texas Tech University, holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, the Bachelor of Science degree (Summa cum laude) in Music Education from Dana College, and the Master of Music degree and Performer's Certificate from Indiana University. He has performed with a wide range of ensembles, including the Disneyland All-American College Band, the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the Omaha, Lincoln, and Honolulu Symphony Orchestras, Santa Fe Pro Musica and various brass chamber groups. Solo appearances have included competitions in the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic, and recitals and concerto appearances at colleges, universities, and regional and international tuba-euphonium conferences. His teaching background is equally varied, with experience as a band and orchestra director at the elementary and high school levels as well as private studio and classroom teaching at the college level. In addition to his duties at Tech, Dr. Wass has served on the faculty of the Las Vegas Music Festival and currently serves as Principal Tuba of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. His principal studies have been with Fritz Kaenzig, Daniel Perantoni, Harvey Phillips, and Craig Fuller.

Students of Kevin Wass can be found in teaching and performing positions throughout the United States, including Principal Tuba in the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Tuba and Euphonium in the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. Graduates from the tuba and euphonium studio at Texas Tech have also been admitted to graduate study at some of the world's most prestigious institutions, including the Juilliard School, Indiana University, the University of North Texas, and the Royal Northern College of Music (UK). Competition honors for Dr. Wass's students include first place in the ITEC Mock Orchestral Audition and two national finalists in the MTNA Young Artist Brass competition.

Dr. Wass is a long-time member of ITEA/TUBA, in which his activities have included hosting a regional conference (2005), serving as founding chair of the Harvey G. Phillips Awards for Excellence in Composition (2005-2011), serving on the Board of Directors as Conferences Coordinator (2009-2011), and serving as an Associate Editor of the ITEA Journal, writing the quarterly “Dear Dr. TubaEuph” column (2012-2015). He currently serves as Past-President of ITEA, a position he will hold through 2021.