MGySgt Mark Jenkins

U.S. Marine Band

Euphonium player Master Gunnery Sergeant Mark Jenkins “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 2002. He was appointed principal and section leader in 2012. Master Gunnery Sgt. Jenkins began his musical instruction at age 11. He graduated in 1996 from Durango High School in Las Vegas and continued his education at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he studied euphonium performance with Brian Bowman and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2003. He earned a master of music degree from the University of Maryland in College Park in 2006 and a doctorate from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., in 2017. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Jenkins was a two-time winner of the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition, and a finalist in the 2001 ITEC Euphonium Solo Competition in Finland. In 2005, Master Gunnery Sgt. Jenkins performed as a founding member of the Marine Band Tuba-Euphonium Quartet at the U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Arlington, Va., and the Potomac Festival’s International Tuba and Euphonium Competition in Fairfax, Va. In 2006, the same ensemble performed at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference (ITEC) in Denver, Colo. He has performed as a guest soloist/clinician for the Southwest Regional Tuba/Euphonium Conference, the International Euphonium Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, and the Tubonium4 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. The quartet was also featured at the Leonard Falcone Competition 2007 and ITEC 2008 in Cincinnati. Master Gunnery Sgt. Jenkins has performed several solos with the Marine Band including the Fantasia di Concerto by Eduardo Boccalari, “Auld Lang Syne” by Simone Mantia, as a 2010 and 2012 tour soloist performing Vladimir Cosma’s Euphonium Concerto, and Jean-Baptiste Arban's "Carnival of Venice" in 2015. Master Gunnery Sgt. Jenkins was also a soloist on the Marine Band's historic 2019 tour of Japan.

Misa Mead

Misa was born in the city of Kumamoto, in the south west of Japan. She graduated from Tokyo College of Music in 2008. At both high school and university she was a scholarship student. Misa won the unanimous Gold Medal at the European Solo Competition for Young Soloists in Luxembourg 2011, as well winning the first prize at the 4th All-Japan Junior High and Senior High School Students Wind Instruments Solo Contest, 2000, and the 25th All-Kyushu Music Competition Gold Award 2001. At the highly prestigious Jeju International Wind and Percussion Solo Competition 2012 and 2014, South Korea, she won third prize. Misa graduated with Honors at the Conservatory at regional radiation of Paris 2012. Misa appeared as a guest artist in March 2013 at Tubamania Festivals in Thailand and May 2013 at the South West Region Tuba Euphonium Conference (SWRTEC) in California, USA, performing her own compositions. In 2013 she was appointed High School Performance Assistant at the Tokyo College of Music. She also worked closely with the Tokyo-based Spiel Kammerensemble. Since July 2013, Misa moved to the UK, and performed many concerts in more than twenty countries. She married the famous British euphonium artist Steven Mead in March 2014, and changed her name from Misa Akahoshi to Misa Mead. Her debut CD Journey, was released to great critical acclaim. Misa is an active as freelance composer and orchestrator. Many of her works are published by ASKS Winds (Japan) and Bocchino Music (UK) distributed world-wide. Misa is a Besson Euphonium Artist represents the Buffet Group around the world with her solo activities. Misa is playing Besson Sovereign 967T in Lacquer.

tuba

SSG Andrew Dougherty

Gainesville, VA

Group: The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band

Joined the Band: 2020

Alum: George Mason University / University of Maryland

SSG Andrew Dougherty is a native of Gainesville, Virginia, and joined the tuba section of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in December of 2020. He previously was a member of the West Point Band, which he joined in November of 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Music from George Mason University, where he studied under Andrew Hitz, and a Master of Music from the University of Maryland, where he studied under David Fedderly. Dougherty formerly played with Brass of the Potomac, the ITEA winning tuba and euphonium quartet, NOVATEQ, and other band, orchestral, and chamber ensembles around the Washington, D.C. area. As an educator, Dougherty has taught masterclasses at the Bard Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, and at the Tanglewood Institute, while maintaining a private studio of dedicated students. Prior to joining the military music field, he was selected to perform as principal tuba with the Disney All-American College Band of 2014 in Anaheim, California, under the direction of Ron McCurdy. As a student, he won The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” Mock Band Audition, and was selected for the United States Air Force Band’s Collegiate Symposium.

Patrick Sheridan

Patrick Sheridan is one of the most celebrated tuba soloists in his instrument's history. He has performed more than 3,500 concerts in over 50 countries in venues ranging from the White House to NBA half-time shows to the Hollywood Bowl. He is a former member of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band and has gone on to become an incredibly diverse artist with concert performances transcending stylistic genres and building fans around the world for his instrument, the tuba. He has been featured in television and radio broadcasts on 4 continents including appearances on NBC’s "Today Show" and NPR’s "All Things Considered" and "Performance Today." Along with Sam Pilafian, he is the co-author of the world's best-selling method for instrumental improvement, The Breathing Gym®, which is used by thousands of educators every day and more than a million students have used to improve their instrumental abilities. Beyond his busy performing life, Patrick's commitment to education is extensive. His wind students occupy positions in major international ensembles. Mr. Sheridan has served on the music faculties at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, The Rotterdam Conservatory, The Royal Northern College of Music, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Most recently, Patrick served on the music faculty at the University of California - Los Angeles where he was the Director of the UCLA Wind Ensemble, the UCLA Brass Ensemble, and a professor of tuba and euphonium. Mr. Sheridan has over 30 years of experience in the music industry as a design consultant. Instruments influenced by Patrick’s designs are played in hundreds of professional orchestras, military bands, and chamber ensembles around the world. Thousands of university, high school, middle school, and elementary school students play on instruments in which Patrick has been involved in the design process. He is the Chief Design Consultant for Jupiter Band Instruments, XO Professional Brass, and Hercules Stands. Patrick also frequently works across the United States as a guest conductor with professional and community ensembles, university bands, and orchestras as well as high school and middle school all-state bands and orchestras. Patrick is a member of ASCAP, an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, and a Trustee of The International Music Camp. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan and spends his free time with his family hiking and camping in beautiful Arizona while they tolerate his photography obsession.

Patricio Cosentino

Is the most active South American tuba player, having made a career as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor. After receiving his musical degree under the tutelage of the celebrated tuba player, Walter Hilgers, at the Hochschule für Musik ‘Franz Liszt’ in Weimar, Germany, in 2009, he went back to Argentina to accept the position as principal tuba with the National Symphony Orchestra. Patricio became the first tuba teacher in the country with a University Degree. After a few years of orchestral experience, Patricio discovered his love for performing on stage and decided to concentrate solely on his solo career from 2012 onwards. Since then he has been travelling consistently, performing regularly with some of the finest brass and wind ensembles, as well as orchestras, in America, Europe and Africa. Notably, Patricio Cosentino worked together with many South American composers to develop new repertoire for brass instruments. This collaboration has produced over 250 new pieces from composers hailing from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Colombia. His support for South American composers has redefined the brass world and has enabled world premieres of concertos by Roberto Pintos, Jorge Tagliapietra, Noelia Escalzo, Luis Rojas, Gerardo Gardelin, Pablo Aguirre, to name a few, adding new pieces to the tuba and brass literature. To reinforce his support of the South American composers, he initiated the music publishing company Pampa Editions, which specializes in South American music. From 2011 to 2014, Patricio worked together with the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) as an international representative of the executive committee, being the first South American tubist to belong to such a prestigious international organisation. Patricio Cosentino is well known for his master classes and tuba clinics which are frequently held in numerous leading universities throughout the United States and Europe, including Brass Academy Alicante, Conservatorie à rayonnement Regional de Paris, Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, ESMUC, University of Southern California, University of Arizona, North Georgia University, Ithaca College and Emory University. As a recording artist, Patricio has several albums as a soloist and chamber musician including “Sudamerica Vibra”, ”MOVE!” and “Viejos Aires”. As well as being a soloist, Patricio Cosentino is a member of the Dispar Trio. Since 2015, he is the international advisor and conductor of the Brass Band BlechKLANG in Jena, Germany. Brass Band Blechklang won the German National Brass Band Championships and the title of the best Eb tuba section of the competition where Patricio performed as the principal tuba. He also conducts the Jugend Brass Band BlechKLANG which won the German National Brass Band Championships for the first time in the history of Germany, with the highest total score of the entire competition. Jugend Brass Band BlechKLANG placed 4th at European Brass Band Championship in Montreux, Switzerland, in 2019.

Tim Buzbee

Tim Buzbee "is a fine musician who can make his tuba variously sing like a violin and bark like an angered dog, and touch all those bases in between. His sense of phrasing is as astonishing as his sense of his instrument's tone coloring" raved Fanfare Magazine about Tim's debut solo cd, BUZZED. In 2011, Tim joined the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as principal tuba. Besides the Melbourne Symphony Tim has held the same position with many orchestras including Iceland Symphony, Malmo Symphony, Gävle Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Acapulco Philharmonic. Tim has won jobs in 8 different countries! Buzbee has been invited to perform as guest tubist with many other orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Danish Radio Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Western Australia Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Malaysia Philharmonic and the Helsingborg Symphony among others. In 2017, Buzbee was asked to play with The Louisville Orchestra as Acting Principal Tuba. As a soloist, he has performed concerts and masterclasses around the world including the most prestigious universities and conservatories. Currently, Tim has three solo CDs on the Albany Record label including “Raw Emotions”, consisting of 4 concertos from North America with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Buzbee also recorded a cd entitled Eruptions, consisting of standard excerpts for low brass section for the Albany Record label. He has been soloist with the Melbourne Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Acapulco Symphony, Marshall Symphony, and the "Pershing Own" Army Band in Washington D.C. Buzbee recently was asked to be a featured artist at the Texas Music Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Buzbee was also recently featured on the front cover of the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal and has been featured in several other magazines in the past. Tim is on faculty at The University of Melbourne. Buzbee knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good. Tim enjoys spending any free time with his wife Jessica, and their five kids, and the two family dogs which think they are children number 6 and 7!!!

Justin Benavidez

Florida State University

Justin Benavidez is the professor of tuba and euphonium at the Florida State University College of Music and performs as principal tuba of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, he is on faculty at the Round Top Music Festival in Texas. With his playing noted for its “tremendous virtuosity and stylistic versatility,” Benavidez has performed in venues throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He has been featured numerous times on APM’s Performance Today radio program. His debut solo album, Emblems, won Silver Medals in the Classical Album and Instrumental Solo Album categories of the Global Music Awards. The International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal described it as “an impressive and highly entertaining record” on which Benavidez “shreds with enthusiasm, exuberance, and precision.” As an orchestral musician, Benavidez has appeared as guest principal with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He was previously the principal tuba of the Syracuse Symphoria Orchestra and the Syracuse Opera. Benavidez has been a prizewinner of multiple international solo competitions. He is the only tubist to have been awarded both the New Horizons Fellowship and the Orchestral Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival where he was a student for six summers, held the principal tuba chair in the festival orchestra, and was the winner of the prestigious Aspen Music Festival concerto competition. Benavidez was the distinguished recipient of the Horace H. Rackham Merit Fellowship for doctoral studies at the University of Michigan and was presented with the UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance Paul Boylan Alumni Award for outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions in the field of music. As one of today’s leading educators, Benavidez is frequently invited to present master classes and perform as a guest recitalist at preeminent universities, workshops, and conferences. Notable invitations have included the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo, the Bern University of the Arts, the Lyon Conservatory of Music, the Paris Conservatory of Music, the United States Army Band Tuba Euphonium Workshop, and multiple International Tuba Euphonium Conferences. Benavidez’s students have distinguished themselves through numerous accomplishments and awards, including prizes at international competitions, fellowships to summer music festivals, assistantships for graduate study, performances with professional ensembles, and teaching positions at secondary and collegiate institutions.

Natalie Colegrove

Natalie Colegrove currently attends the University of Miami pursuing a bachelor's in Euphonium Performance with Dr. Aaron Tindall. In February 2022, Natalie was announced the winner of the United States Pershing's Own Army Band Solo Competition. Previously, she has soloed with the California Youth Symphony and her high school band in Cupertino, CA. In October 2022, Natalie advanced to the final round of the US Coast Guard Euphonium Audition. She was named the winner of the International Euphonium Tuba Festival Solo and Mock Band competition, was a semi-finalist of the Falcone Festival Solo Competition Artist Division, placed in multiple SERTEC and VTEC competitions, was the runner up in the International Women’s Brass Conference’s Solo Competition, won the New Zealand International Brass Festival Solo Competition in 2021, and was named a YoungArts Foundation winner of Classical Music. Natalie released her euphonium tuba ensemble charity album “Midnight Euphonium'' in August 2020 and two lo-fi singles on all streaming platforms.

Danielle VanTuinen

Danielle VanTuinen is a performer, educator, and entrepreneur based in Gainesville, Florida. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium and Director of the University of Florida Brass Band at the University of Florida. Prior to her current appointment, Danielle served as Lecturer of Music at Plymouth State University where she taught low brass methods, chamber music and applied lessons. She also served as low brass faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music, adjunct staff for the marching band at the University of New Hampshire, private lesson instructor throughout northern New England, and low brass instructor for the Phoenix Youth Symphony. She has been invited to adjudicate at a variety of festivals, including the New Hampshire MEA Solo & Ensemble Competition, the Paul I. Willwerth Brass Competitions, the International Women’s Brass Young Artist Competition, and the AETYB Young Artist Competition in Madrid, Spain. As a co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Moreau | VanTuinen Duo she has been invited to perform at the Spanish Association of Tubas and Euphoniums, Northern Arizona University, Ithaca College, the Miraphone Academy of the Southwest, the United States Pershing’s Own Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, and the International Women’s Brass Conference. Her commitment to expanding low brass repertoire has resulted in over 15 compositions by composers such as Steven Snowden, James Grant, Shaun Tilburg, and Etienne Crausaz. Danielle earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Performance and Master of Music degree in Music Performance from Arizona State University, and a Bachelors of Music degree in Music Performance from Central Michigan University. Dr. VanTuinen proudly endorses S.E. Shires and the Eastman Music Company.