Twenty Characteristic Etudes for Tuba was composed in 1991. It won First Prize in the 1991 TUBA Etude Contest, organized by the Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association. They were composed to help prepare the advanced tubists for the orchestra, chamber and solo repertoire. Each etude specifies distinct characteristics of a particular compositional style that the tubist may encounter in a professional situation. Performing these etudes requires the basics of technique such as flexibility, articulation, cantabile, intonation, slurring, intervals, tonguing, rhythm, scales and developed tessitura. Among the twenty etudes, at least one etude has been composed in each of the twelve tonal centers. Many of these etudes also contain exercises for the contemporary tubist in dimensions such. As expanded tonality, ametrical rhythms, non vocal intervalic melody, metric modulations, finger dexterity, abrupt dynamic contrasts and synthetic scales. Many of these etudes include obvious quotations from the masterworks of the literature which will remind the performer what is needed for a particular style. In 2021 Sergio Carolino recorded a CD of all twenty etudes for tuba, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the First Prize in the 1991 TUBA Etude Contest. Sergio also requested euphonium Mauro Martins to also record some of the euphonium etudes.
Awards
First Prize in the TUBA Tuba Etude Competition 1991