Dr. Chris Dickey (b. 1984)
Praised for their “smooth tone and melodic flexibility” by Melinda Bargreen of The Seattle Times, Dr. Chris Dickey (they/them) has earned a reputation as a performer, teacher, and adjudicator throughout the United States, South America, and Asia. Currently, they are Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium in the Washington State University School of Music. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate tuba-euphonium studio, they teach film music courses, coach chamber music, conduct the tuba choir, and perform in the Equinox Brass Quintet. In the summers they are on the faculty of the Red Lodge Music Festival in Red Lodge, MT.
A passionate teacher and student advocate, Dr. Dickey is incredibly proud of the hardworking students in the tuba-euphonium studio. Members have been prizewinners in regional, state, and international competitions. Students regularly compete and perform at conferences of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association and Music Teachers National Association. Former students perform in military bands and orchestras. Graduates have obtained teaching positions in public schools and universities in the Northwest and other parts of the country. Other former members of the studio have gone on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees with assistantships. Dr. Dickey and students co-hosted both the 2013 and 2017 Northwest Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conferences. In 2020, Dr. Dickey received the WSU President’s Distinguished Teaching Award, a system-wide award given annually to a faculty member who epitomizes the highest levels of performance and excellence and who plays a vital role in teaching WSU students. They were also inducted into the WSU President’s Teaching Academy. In 2021, Dr. Dickey earned the Edward F. Mullen Memorial Teaching Award from the WSU College of Arts and Sciences, an honor given to a faculty member in the arts, humanities, or social sciences who demonstrates outstanding commitment to undergraduate education.
Dr. Dickey enjoys an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. They have appeared as an invited performer around the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Vietnam, and China. They are the principal tuba of the Washington-Idaho and Walla Walla Symphonies in addition to performances with the Yakima, Mid-Columbia, Spokane, and Missoula Symphonies. Dr. Dickey is a founding member of the In Motus Tuba Quartet, a professional quartet specializing in recording and commissioning new literature. They also perform with the Palouse Brass Company, the Crimson Brass. Trio, and the Anonim Trio. As a Miraphone Performing Artist, each year Dr. Dickey travels to play guest artist recitals and teach master classes at high schools and universities. In 2021, they earned third place for The American Prize in Instrumental Performance.
Dedicated to music scholarship, Dr. Dickey’s interests focus on recordings, pedagogy, and brass literature. To date, their five solo recordings, Just a Thought (2015), Dulcet Voice (2017), Inventions (2019), Panorama (2021), and Crossroads (2023) have garnered critical accolades. The International Tuba-Euphonium Association Journal review stated their playing “features elegant and clear phrasing, delicate and expressive musicality, and beautifully captures the emotions and intent of the original works.” The In Motus Tuba Quartet has released two albums, In Motus (2016) and Shadows: The Music of Octubaween (2018). Dickey’s compositions and transcriptions are available through Cimarron Music, Hickey’s Music Center, and Euphonium.com/Absolute Brass. Dr. Dickey’s solo composition Movere appeared on the required literature lists for the 2020 Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival and the 2021 International Tuba-Euphonium Conference.
Dr. Dickey makes frequent contributions to the International Tuba-Euphonium Association Journal as an author and reviewer. Their article, titled “Pedagogy Revisited: A Primer on Inclusive Practices for the Tuba-Euphonium Studio,” appears in the spring 2021 issue of the journal. They are committed to expanding the tuba and euphonium repertoire while bringing underrepresented composers and diverse perspectives into the conversation. Composers in the United States and abroad have written works for Dr. Dickey, including Elaine Fine’s Sonata for Tuba and Piano, Ricardo Arbiza’s La Battala Final, Zachery Meier’s Azure Roads, and Evan Zegiel’s Triptych for Low Brass Trio. Recent commissions include music by Katahj Copley, Juantio Becenti, Wayne Lu, brin solomon, Nicole Chamberlain, Mica Redden, and Fernando Deddos. Dr. Dickey also enjoys mentoring aspiring music educators and performers by giving presentations on brass pedagogy, LGBTQ+ advocacy, inclusive pedagogy, financial literacy, and career paths in music.
Dr. Dickey received a Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University as a student of Rex Martin. They also studied conducting with Mallory Thompson. While at Northwestern, they were the recipient of the prestigious Eckstein Scholarship. Dr. Dickey earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa under John Manning, founding member of the Atlantic Brass Quintet. They also received a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Eastern Illinois University as a student of Allan Horney. Dickey holds memberships in the International Tuba-Euphonium Association, College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, and the Music Teachers National Association.
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TUBA-EUPHONIUM STUDIO
The Washington State University tuba-euphonium studio is home to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in music education, performance, composition, and music with an outside field. Students in the studio come from the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country. Tuba and euphonium students have a weekly lesson with Dr. Dickey, attend studio classes, play in the tuba choir, and have supplementary lessons with the graduate teaching assistant. Tuba-euphonium studio members are talented, motivated, friendly, and supportive musicians studying in the beautiful Palouse region in Pullman, WA.
Tuba and euphonium students have been prizewinners in regional, national, and international competitions. They regularly compete at regional conferences of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association, the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference, and Music Teachers National Association competitions. Graduates of the studio have obtained teaching positions throughout the Northwest, perform in professional ensembles, and others have gone on to earn master's and doctoral degrees.
Active on campus and with hosting tuba-related events, the studio has performed at the 2015 and 2017 Northwest Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conferences. In fact, the studio co-hosted both the 2013 and 2017 NWRTECs on the WSU campus. Each October students enjoy a variety of Oktubafest activities, including a studio recital and hosting guest artists. Euphonium and tuba guest artists include the following:
Benjamin Pierce, University of Arkansas
Yi Yang, Wuhan Conservatory of Music
Jamie Lipton, Henderson State University
Danny Chapa, Stephen F. Austin State University
Paul Dickinson, Kennesaw State University
Scott Watson, University of Kansas
Alex Avila, Columbus State University
Andrew Rummel, Illinois State University
Travis Scott, Xavier University of Louisiana
Stephanie Ycaza, University of Northern Iowa
Bill Waterman, Boise State University
John Manning, University of Iowa
Deanna Swoboda, Arizona State University
Genevieve Clarkson, Oklahoma City University
Jesse Orth, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Tom Curry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Joanna Hersey, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
David McLemore, Central Washington University
Stephanie Frye, East Tennessee State University
Ben Vasko, Valdosta State University
Chris Leslie, West Point Band
Jennifer Jester, Millersville University
Mark Thiele, University of Idaho
Dustin Seifert, Eastern New Mexico University
James Land, Western Illinois University
Cale Self, University of West Georgia
Jeremy Crawford, University of Alabama
Steven Darling, University of Tennessee at Martin
J.D. Salas, Stephen F. Austin State University
Marc Placencia, Navy Band Northwest
If you are interested in auditioning for the studio, please visit the WSU School of Music auditions website. Feel free to contact Dr. Dickey via e-mail at chris.dickey@wsu.edu. Repertoire selections for undergraduate and graduate auditions are flexible and should reflect your current level of ability.
SOUNDs
IN MOTUS TUBA QUARTET
The In Motus Tuba Quartet was formed in 2014 and comprises artist-teachers of tuba and euphonium from around the United States. Their recitals and master classes have garnered praise and accolades from audiences and are noted for their energy, insight, and positivity. This debut album, self-titled In Motus, was generously funded by a recording artist grant from the Emeritus Recordings label. The quartet is a particularly close group of friends, including the husband and wife duo of Drs. Albert and Sarah Miller, as well as long-time friends Dr. Chris Dickey and Dr. Genevieve Clarkson. When faced with creating a group name, quartet member Sarah Miller recalled how readings on musical narrativity had affected her development as a player and pedagogue. Combining the ideas of motion and story telling, the result was a name that implies movement. The In Motus Tuba Quartet is dedicated to recording and performing new works for tuba-euphonium quartet as well as exploring transcriptions for the ensemble. Their programming reflects each member’s personal taste in music and helps defy an audience’s expectations about the instruments. Recent engagements for the quartet include appearances at international and regional conferences of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, additional recording projects, and the commissioning of new works for tuba-euphonium quartet. The quartet regularly gives presentations related to music careers and financial literacy for musicians.