Danny Helseth, guest conductor

When asked to describe Danny Helseth as a musician, composers Joseph T. Spaniola and Brett Miller use the words such as “high energy…intensity…emotion-filled.” Danny has never been known to go into anything half-way, but rather puts everything he has into what he does. This is very evident as he pursues his musical career on the euphonium, trombone, and in his present capacity as Director of Bands at Seattle Pacific University.

No stranger to the greater Northwest music world, Danny Helseth directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Seattle Pacific. He is recognized as an exciting and spirited euphonium soloist, and has been a featured artist throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, and China. A champion of new music who continually challenges common performance convention, Mr. Helseth has been instrumental in the commissioning of many new solo works for the euphonium, as well as in creating new ensemble opportunities. Mr. Helseth has continually pushed the boundaries of low brass chamber music, and is a founding member of the euphonium quartet Eufonix. Formed in 2009, they released their fourth CD in 2014, have been featured performers throughout the United States, and at several international conferences. Eufonix is the resident chamber group of Low Brass Boot Camp, an annual summer institute designed to further performance standards in the tuba and euphonium world.

A champion of music education as well, Mr. Helseth has presented master classes and clinics to students of all ages throughout the United States, Japan and China. He is a regular on the band-clinic circuit, offering bands of varying levels an enthusiastic approach to music that he hopes is contagious. Besides his position at Seattle Pacific University, Helseth is in his fourth year as instructor of tuba and euphonium at Eastern Washington University, and maintains an active private studio of private students from the greater Seattle area. He holds degrees from Central Washington University (BMus Ed, 1999), University of North Texas (MMus Performance, 2002), The Royal Northern College of Music (Post-Graduate Diploma in Performance, 2002), is a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts, Trombone Performance at the University of Washington, and was a Fulbright Scholar to the United Kingdom (2001-2002).

Steven Kennedy, bass

Steve Mostovoy, trumpet

Jovino Santos Neto, piano

Mathew Pelandini, drums

Beserat Tafesse, euphonium