He is a tuba player born Eugene Pokorny and raised in Downey, California, who studied at Redlands University and the University of Southern California where he graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree and later was the recipient of an outstanding alumnus award. He was later awarded with an honorary doctorate from the University of Redlands.
He became a member of the 1973 Disneyland All American College Band and went on to perform as a tubist with the Israel Philharmonic from 1975to 1978 followed by the Utah Symphony from 1978 to 1983 and then the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1983 to 1989.
In 1989 he was appointed Principal Tuba for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Sir Georg Solti and performed with the orchestra until 1992 when he took a year out to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and played on several major movie soundtracks. He returned to the CSO in 1993 and has remained with them throughout the rest of his career. He performed the premiere of Journey – Concerto for Contrabass Tuba and Orchestra by John D. Stevens in 2000.
He has recorded three of his own solo CDs which are Tuba Tracks, Orchestral Excerpts for Tuba and Big Boy. Other recordings he has performed on include Highlights from CCM’s First Ten Years by The Chicago Chamber Musicians, Mussorgsky/Scriabin: Pictures at an Exhibition (Orch. Ravel)/Poem of Ecstasy, Wagner: Overtures and Preludes, Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3 and the soundtrack of Lincoln by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Live by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, Holiday Musik by Chip Davis, Brass Nation by Michael Davis, Christmasville by Mannheim Steamroller, Gabrieli by the National Brass Ensemble, All American Brass and Toccata & Fugue by Summit Brass, Christmas With The Symphony Brass of Chicago by Symphony Brass of Chicago, The Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack by the Utah Symphony Orchestra.
In the field of musical education he has worked with the trombonist Michael Davis on recordings of many educational workbook CDs and has written a chapter on orchestral auditions for the Indiana University Press publication Tuba Source Book. He has been a participant in many presentations, workshops and master classes at events such as the Pokorny Brass Seminar at the University of Redland and the Brass Year program at McGill University. He has also been a faculty member of Northwestern University and Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Outside of music he is the president of the Three Stooges Fan Club.
Christmas Carols recordings by Chicago Symphony Low Brass Ensemble
Angels We Have Heard On High (Traditional/Chadwick/Barnes)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
The First Nowell (Traditional/Anonymous)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Arranger – Luther Henderson
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Anonymous/Traditional)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Arranger – Luther Henderson
Here We Come A-Wassailing (Wassail Song) (Anonymous Middle Ages English)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Arranger – Luther Henderson
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Arranger – Luther Henderson
In Dulci Jubilo (J.S. Bach version)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpoint)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Joy to the World (Isaac Watts/Lowell Mason/Georg Frideric Handel)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Lo, How A Rose (Traditional Anonymous German)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fidelis)(John Francis Wade/Fred Oakeley)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
O Holy Night (Adolphe Charles Adam)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Phillips Brooks/Lewis Redner)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Arranged – Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Twelve Days of Christmas(Unknown English c18th century/Frederic Austin)
VOX 7501 (CD: Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago)
Conductor – Barry Faldner
Sources:
- https://www.summitrecords.com/artist/gene-pokorny/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Pokorny
- https://www.stokowski.org/Chicago_Symphony_Musicians_List.htm
- https://sarah-willis.com/horn-hangout/gene-pokorny
- http://www.chicagosymphonymusicians.com/gene-pokorny.html
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/gene-pokorny-and-pals-in-a-tuba-first-elgars-nimrod/
- https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/gene-pokorny
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-pokorny-mn0001824543
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-pokorny-mn0001824543/credits
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/925929-Gene-Pokorny
- https://music.northwestern.edu/faculty/profile/gene-pokorny
- https://www.roosevelt.edu/academics/faculty/profile/gpokorny
- https://music.uni.edu/guest-artist-masterclass-gene-pokorny-tuba