Contributors
Les Neish
"The player who most reminds me of John Fletcher today is Les Neish" Bramwell Tovey (International Conductor)
From a performance at Millennium Park, Chicago and recording on an album with pop star “Sting”, Les Neish has created a career as a tuba soloist, chamber musician and educator throughout the world. With a schedule that takes Les out of country every month he has built a career around his wonderful musicianship, artistry and communication.
Always pushing the boundaries, Les became the first tuba player to be awarded the Worshipful Company of Dyers Award for Wind and Brass at the Royal Overseas League Competition and performed the first solo tuba recital at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. His debut solo CD “Salt of the Earth”, which received airtime on Radio 3, scooped Brass Band World, British Bandsman and www.4barsrest.com Solo CD of the Year Awards. His follow up CD "Shine" was awarded the prestigious Roger Bobo Award in Recording Excellence from the International Tuba Euphonium Association. Away from solo performance, Les is privileged to be part of the tuba section of the world famous, American based, Brass Band of Battle Creek and as a chamber musician is a member of the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, a group with a 30 year history having performed in over 60 countries.
Alongside his international travel Les is tuba tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music, RNCM Junior School, Salford University and Birmingham Conservatoire. He has served as tutor on the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Switzerland.
With a real passion for musical education Les has performed workshops to youngsters throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. Playing a major role in the Scottish Brass Band Association Youth Development programme Les has performed numerous workshops to thousands of youngsters and has been an integral part of the huge increase in youth bands throughout Scotland.
Les is also an experienced adjudicator judging solo, brass band and windband competitions throughout the world, including the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Brass Soloist of the Year, the Tasmanian Band League State Championships, Royal Overseas League Competiition and the Young Artist Tuba Competition at ITEC's in Arizona and Linz.
