Michael Forbes

An artist of widely diverse musical talents, Mike Forbes has set forth on a career encompassing all aspects of performing, teaching, composing, and conducting. He can be heard on his solo album, Forbes Plays Koetsier (Summit Records) where he features all seven works for solo tuba by Dutch composer, Jan Koetsier. Currently, Dr. Forbes teaches Music Theory, Composition and Low Brass at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He has previously served on the music faculties at a number of other institutions and was a tubist with the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.” As the bottom tubist with the Sotto Voce Quartet, Forbes enjoys performing and recording exhilarating chamber music with his colleagues in America’s premiere tuba/euphonium quartet. This world-class ensemble enjoys an international touring schedule and has released a number of recordings also on Summit Records which feature Forbes’s many compositions and arrangements for the genre. In addition to those works, Forbes currently serves as the low brass writer for Kendor Music and as a Carl Fischer Composer specializing in creating new works for middle and high school bands and orchestras. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his published works and his Festival Fanfare recently won the 2010 Dallas Wind Symphony brass fanfare composition competition.

As the founder of the Isthmus Brass, Wisconsin’s premiere large brass ensemble, Forbes regularly performs throughout the Midwest on both the tuba and the bass trombone. He also has performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and as the principal tubist with the Hot Springs Music Festival. Dr. Forbes studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Maryland, and during his junior year at Penn State he took an exchange to Manchester, England where he continued his studies the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music.

Mike Forbes is a Miraphone Performing Artist.

Compositions