Globetrotting euphonium star Steven Mead recently spent Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan as a guest of the Taipei Symphonic Band.

Christmas Day

Steve gave a concert on Christmas Day itself in one of the most famous concert halls in the city to a large and very enthusiastic audience.

Italy

Before he could settle down to a British style Christmas dinner though he was flying off to Calabria in the south of Italy where he worked with two bands in the region of Lamezia. The second of the concerts was broadcast live on Italian television.

Netherlands

After a few days respite back in the UK and some well overdue snow clearing he is now off to the Netherlands, where he will perform with Dutch Marine Band, as well as leading a specialised Low Brass Day of workshops and masterclasses in Wormerveer, Kerkdriel, Zeist.

With just a few days rest, Steve will then head to where he will perform as guest soloist at the Gala Concert of the Norwegian Brass Band Championships4BR

Norway

With just a few days rest, Steve will then head to where he will perform as guest soloist at the Gala Concert of the Norwegian Brass Band Championships, accompanied by Eikganger Bjorsvik .

There he will play the final movement from Peter Graham’s concerto, ‘In League with Extraordinary Gentlemen’ and Howard Snell’s arrangement of Sarasate’s ‘Gypsy Airs’

The performance coincides with the release of Eikanger’s CD of Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, on which Steve was the producer.

Newcastle

And Steve will have little time to enjoy Norwegian hospitality, as the following morning he takes the earliest flight from Bergen arriving in Newcastle in time to rehearse for an afternoon brass band concert in The Sage, Gateshead.

Norway again

Unbelievably, from there he returns to Norway the next morning to begin four days of masterclasses, appearing at the Grieg Academy (Bergen), Tromso, Trondheim and Oslo.

This is a visit much anticipated by Norwegian brass players, as it's a few years since Steve has performed in this country.

Finally to Bournemouth

From there he goes directly to his hometown Bournemouth for a weekend with Vintage Brass, and a concert at the Boscombe Salvation Army Citadel hall to round off a couple of the busiest months in his playing career.