Gene Pokorny

Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, has long been one of the most influential orchestral tuba players in the world. Gene uses the CHI Brass Jacobs 2 with the legendary CSO York tubas and has also performed on the CHI JS Helleberg. The Jacobs 2 can be heard with Gene and the CSO Brass Quintet on their acclaimed recording APEX.

For F tuba, Gene uses the CHI Brass Floyd Cooley 1, along with Vintage Robert Tucci 64 and 80 mouthpieces and an original older Perantucci (PT) mouthpiece. Gene has said that the Floyd Cooley 1 is the most in-tune F tuba mouthpiece he has found, going all the way back to Floyd Cooley’s original design. His selection reflects a lifetime of experience finding the right combination of instrument and mouthpiece for the musical demands at hand.

Away from the tuba, Gene is also a devoted railfan and Three Stooges enthusiast.