Geneva Group welcomes Saynor
The Geneva Group are delighted to welcome on board Gavin Saynor as the fifth soloist from Black Dyke Band to become a Performance and Development Artist. Gavin has played as a member of some of the finest bands in the world including Leyland, Fairey, Yorkshire Building Society, and Cory. He was appointed Principal Eb Tuba of Black Dyke Band at the beginning of 2019.
Gavin comes from North Wales where he still lives and started playing a brass instrument at the age of 7 in the Deiniolen Youth Band. He moved to tuba at the age of 10 and started taking brass playing seriously following a lesson with Black Dyke legend Colin Aspinall.
Seen very much as one of the finest band players in banding circles now for two decades he is probably most remembered of late for his stunning performance of Concerto Grosso by Derek Bourgeois at the European Brass Band Championships in Bergen back in 2003, for which he was awarded the City of Bergen Solo Prize. In the same year Gavin was nominated as Player of the Year on the respected website 4barsrest and has been regularly chosen for their annual Band of the Year. Another Personal career highlight included being a guest soloist at the International Tuba and Euphonium Association Conference.
During his school days Gavin won several prestigious awards for his playing and developed into an accomplished soloist as well as an ensemble player. Gavin completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Salford where he specialised in Musical Performance and Arts Administration. As a soloist, performer and clinician Gavin has performed and held workshops all over the world including Norway, Switzerland, USA, Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Italy, Germany and throughout the UK. In October 2019 he was featured as a soloist on the band's tour of Japan.
As well as being a tutor at Bangor University, Gavin has also held the same post at the University of Salford. He is the current tuba tutor for the NYBBW. Gavin is also no stranger to the conducting baton having led several local bands to Regional and National successes.
Commenting on his role Gavin stated, “I am extremely excited to be involved with the Geneva Group and teaming up with their impressive line up of development and performance artists. I have already been impressed by their ambition and the quality of their workmanship and am very much looking forward to working with them to develop their tuba range even further into the future.”
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