Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba, Chicago Symphony orchestra

UW Music is excited to host Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Thursday, March 12, for a solo recital at 1:10 p.m., followed by a masterclass at 2:20 p.m. The orchestra’s Arnold Jacobs Principal Tuba Chair, Pokorny is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest brass players. Since joining the CSO in 1989, he has built a career that spans the world’s elite orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic. His iconic sound is also immortalized in cinematic history; while in Los Angeles, he performed on the soundtracks for blockbuster films such as “Jurassic Park” and “The Fugitive.” When Gene Pokorny isn’t counting rests in the back row of Orchestra Hall, he can be found teaching at music festivals and performing solo recitals worldwide. He has recorded several solo and educational discs, and assisted Rolling Stones trombonist Michael Davis in recording several educational workbook CDs. He received an Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of Southern California and an honorary doctorate from the University of Redlands. Beyond the concert stage, Pokorny is a dedicated educator and a man of diverse passions, balancing his time between orchestral performances and teaching at Northwestern University and his own Pokorny Low Brass Seminar. A member of the Union Pacific (Railroad) Historical Society and the Union Pacific Steam Club, Pokorny is an avid "foamer" (train enthusiast) and a devotee of “The Three Stooges.”