Norwegian Euphonium by Tormod Flaten, Euphonium

Tormod has performed as a soloist with ensembles like the Ventoscala Youth Orchestra (Hungary), Scottish Co-op Band (UK), RNCM Brass Band (UK), Brass Band 13 Etoiles (Switzerland), National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland, RSAMD Brass Ensemble (UK), Silkeborg Blæserne (Denmark), Bergen Military Band, Bergen Symphonic Band, Manger Musikklag, Valdres Festival Strings, Nordic Brass Ensemble in addition to his own band Eikanger-Bjørsvik where he appears regularly. He premiered Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen’s Two Insects and gave the Norwegian premiere of Elgar Howarth’s Stories for Saroyan. A new solo disc with wind band, brass band and percussion accompaniment is scheduled for release on the Doyen label in november 2005.

Tormod is in demand as a freelance musician having played tenor tuba with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra on Ein Heldenleben and The Planets and under conductors like Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Andrew Litton. He appears frequently as a euphoniumist with the professional army bands of Norway and served his military service with the Bergen Military Band.

Tormod Flaten studied euphonium with Helga Vetås at the Manger Folkehøgskule and further with Kim Lofthouse and Grethe Tonheim at the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen. He was the first brass player in Norway to gain the highest possible mark 1.0 on two occasions, in 1998 and 2001. He has also taken classes on trombone and in arranging and composing and currently studies conducting with Helge Haukås.

Tormod has entered numerous international solo competitions with great success. He became the Norwegian Solo Champion in 1996 and was a prize-winner at the European Solo Competition in Munich, Germany 1999 and at the International Tuba Euphonium Festival in Manchester, England 2000.

Tormod Flaten is a travelled international soloist, having performed at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC) in Lahti, Finland 2001, at ITEC in Greensboro, USA 2002, at the International Tuba and Euphonium Festival in Manchester, England 2003 and at the ITEC 2004 in Budapest, Hungary. Tormod has been a guest lecturer and soloist at the Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and at Manger Folkehøgskule.

In 2003 Tormod performed as a soloist on live television in NRK1's Kjempesjansen with tuba quartet TaBassCo. He helped Scotland’s leading brass band, the Scottish Co-op Band, out as principal euphoniumist at the 2004 European Brass Band Championships and appeared as a soloist with them. In 2004 he also visited the National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland as tutor and guest soloist on their annual concert tour.

Tormod spends a lot of his time conducting wind and brass bands. He is a regular guest conductor with 1st section brass band Radøy Brass and with Tertnes Amatørkorps, which he took from 4th section to 2nd section at the Norwegian Brass Band Championships in only two years. Tormod also won a local competition with Norway’s premier school band Smørås Skolemusikk. He is currently the musical director of Bergen Politiorkester and newly appointed musical director of the top section wind band Sandvikens Ungdomskorps alongside Helge Haukås.

Tormod is a much used adjudicator at band, ensemble and solo competitions and teaches euphonium at Langhaugen Videregående Skole. Tormod is a Besson artist and plays Besson Prestige BE2052 euphoniums exclusively.

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