Saturday 13th April saw the grand opening of Wessex Tubas’ new Chicago showroom with Guest of Honour Gene Pokorny of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
An energetic and well-attended all day event, the opening saw over 40 musicians of all ages and abilities come together to enjoy warm up session, masterclasses, a Q & A with Chuck Nickles, and an exclusive recital by Pokorny.
Not only this, but the busy itinerary also provided attendees with an opportunity to try out our range of instruments on display, with a 20% discount offered on purchases made at the event.
We’re delighted with the outcome of the event and just how excited people were to visit - with many of our attendees commenting on how terrific our new showroom was; how good the venue acoustics are, and even more impressed with the range of instruments available to try.
In fact, those in attendance were so excited to visit the showroom that some arrived an hour before the event started! Eager to venture inside and have a look around.
What’s more, students, professionals, and budding musicians from across the country flocked to Chicago to attend the grand opening; all backed up by some great local support from students at Northwestern University.
20 - 30 people took part in Gene Pokorny’s warm up sessions alone, with four playing in Pokorny’s masterclass.
The masterclass provided an opportunity for attendees to play their chosen piece for the renowned tuba player of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who then gave his honest and welcome feedback on their performances.
Part way through the event, which ran from 11am until 6pm, Chuck Nickles joined attendees for an informative 30 minute presentation and Q & A session where he provided insightful and detailed information on how to choose the right Tuba for your needs and details about Wessex quality enhancements.
Before the showroom opened up for demonstrations and purchases at the end of the day, Pokorny’s exclusive 1 hour recital took the audience by storm, as he played both the new F Tuba ‘Linz’ and CC 6/4 Front-Piston Tuba ‘Chicago-York’.
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For the team here at Wessex Tubas, the grand opening of our Chicago showroom really was a dream come true, and everything we could have hoped for.
To have the support of Gene Pokorny - who advocates for businesses like Wessex, proudly innovating in the field - means so much.
In fact, so successful was the event that we’re planning to hold future events at our showroom throughout the year; starting with the grand unveiling of our newest models with masterclass and recital by Will Druiett on 25th May.
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Whilst our new Chicago showroom is open most days, we do operate an ‘appointment only’ system, and urge all intending visitors to book a convenient time & date.
This is purely so we can ensure we have the right instruments in stock and provide you with enough time and space to try out our instruments thoroughly.
To browse our range of instruments, visit our online shop or to talk to us about our next event in Chicago, contact us today.