An Angus musician has fulfilled a lifelong dream of being a professional tuba player in one of Europe’s top orchestras.
Ross Knight from Carnoustie has just started work in the position of solo tuba with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, Switzerland.
The 24-year-old beat off competition from around 90 tuba players from across the globe who all auditioned for the coveted place.
Ross graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London with first class honours in 2014 and then again in 2015 with his Professional Diploma where he passed with Distinction and a DipRAM.
He moved to Berlin in December when he won a prestigious place with the Orchestra-Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In his few months in Berlin he has played several times with the orchestra and has been guided and mentored by the full-time tuba player Alexander von Puttkamer.
He is currently undertaking a masters degree (M Mus) at the Hochshule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover under the instruction of Danish Professor of tuba Jens Bjørn-Larsen.
Ross has developed a very impressive CV over the past few years playing with the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, as well as holding the principal tuba seat with both the European Union Youth orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
Over and above, he continues to perform as a soloist, his most recent performances being at the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Festival and the Berlin Philharmonic Academy ‘Carte Blanche’ concerts.
Ross who was a pupil of local brass peripatetic teacher Mike Robertson said he was very honoured to have won the seat with the OSR.
He said, “My musical journey started at school through Mike Robertson and I am very grateful to him for his encouragement and support.
“It was Mike who put me in touch with Professor Patrick Harrild at the Royal Academy of Music when I was sixteen and with whom I studied under for five years in London.
“I am also very grateful to the Tayside Symphony Orchestra who, under the late Ron Walker, gave me my first big orchestral solo opportunity when I was 15.”
Ross recently performed two concerts at the Victoria Hall in Geneva with the OSR where they performed cinema concert performances of the Lord of the Rings — The Two Towers under Maestro Ludwig Wicki.
