Decked out in their holiday finery, hundreds of local tuba and euphonium players gathered Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in the Crown Center Square for their annual TubaChristmas holiday concert.
Tammy Ljungblad
tljungblad@kcstar.com
A holiday favorite event, the KC Symphony’s TubaChristmas, played more than a dozen of the holiday classics tuba-style during an hour-long concert Tuesday outside in Crown Center Square.
The annual Kansas City tradition, which began in 1979, has played every year since its inception except for a virtual concert played during the pandemic in 2020. Musicians, one as young as 10 years old and two well-experienced 91-year-old musicians, gathered with a couple hundred local tuba and euphonium players for the 45th annual musical event.
Howard Bell, 91, left, of Kansas City, joined hundreds of local tuba and euphonium players who gathered outside Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in the Crown Center Square for their annual TubaChristmas holiday concert. Bell has been playing the tuba for the past 79 years and said this was his 30th TubaChristmas. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
With his tuba wrapped in Christmas paper, Matthew Bryan, 16, a sophomore at Gardner-Edgerton High School, joined hundreds of local tuba and euphonium players who gathered Tuesday for the annual KC Symphony TubaChristmas holiday concert. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Visitors bundled up against the cold as they sat outside and watched the annual TubaChristmas holiday concert Tuesday in the Crown Center Square in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Holiday decorations including Christmas lights adorned some of the instruments of local tuba and euphonium players gathered Tuesday in the Crown Center Square for their annual TubaChristmas holiday concert. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Scott Watson, professor of tuba-euphonium at the University of Kansas School of Music, directed hundreds of local tuba and euphonium players playing in the annual TubaChristmas holiday concert. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
Decked out in their holiday finery, hundreds of local tuba and euphonium players gathered Tuesday in the Crown Center Square for their annual TubaChristmas holiday concert. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
The music played for the TubaChristmas concert comes exclusively from low brass instruments. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 4:38 PM.
Tammy Ljungblad, at The Kansas City Star, since 1989, is a photojournalist producing videos and storytelling photographs covering a wide range of topics including the Kansas City Chiefs, breaking news, in-depth stories and personality profiles. She is also a FAA licensed drone pilot.Support my work with a digital subscription
