Dr. Kent Eshelman

“Flavors” features previously unrecorded works for tuba as well as transcriptions of works written for other instruments.

Dr. Kent Eshelman, an assistant professor of instrumental studies in Baylor’s School of Music, has earned a prestigious international award for his recent album of tuba solos.

Eshelman received the International Tuba-Euphonium Association’s Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording for the album “Flavors.” The recording, released in June 2013, was supported in part by a grant from the University Research Committee.

As its title suggests, “Flavors” showcases a diverse collection of music with varying styles and moods.  Some of the compositions were written specifically for Eshelman by prominent brass composers, while others are works which were written for other instruments and adapted for tuba by Eshelman.

Eshelman says the process of expanding the tuba’s repertoire through composition, performance and recording parallels the investigation, research and publication undertaken by faculty in science fields.

“For those in the performing arts, performing is research,” he explains. “Like other researchers, performers invest their time and energy exploring various aspects of their discipline and attain unique results that must be shared with peers and students.  In many ways, recording provides the ideal format for performance from both an academic and artistic standpoint.  It allows for wider dissemination than a live performance and it offers the possibility for the performance to be studied and consulted as a reference.”

Click here to read more about Eshelman’s award on the Baylor Media Communications website.