Adjudicator & AoBBA Member

Born into a musical family in County Durham, England, Joseph started playing tuba at the age of 12 with his local secondary school wind band. With encouragement from his brass playing parents and close family friends, he soon progressed on to the Boldon Colliery Brass Band and within 3 years of playing had been accepted into the Ever Ready Brass Band and National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Joseph was member of the National Youth Brass Band for 4 years, being Principal Tuba for 2 years and winner of the Harry Mortimer Solo Competition in 1997. He was also 2 times semi-finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Scholarship.

In 1999, Joseph moved to Leeds to study Music and Electrical Engineering at the University of Leeds, studying tuba with Brian Kingsley of Opera North and conducting with Professor Philip Wilby. At this time he was also accepted into the world famous Black Dyke Brass Band. Joseph spent 14 happy years at Black Dyke, from 1999 until 2013, winning 2 European, 2 British Open, 4 British National, 3 English National and 4 Yorkshire Regional titles. He also toured extensively, to Australia, USA, Canada, Bermuda, Switzerland, Norway, Austria and Sweden. In 2006 he was awarded the Stanley Wainwright Memorial Trophy for the Best Soloist at the British Open Brass Band Championships.

As a soloist, Joseph has work as a guest artist with many groups, including playing the Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sunderland Symphony Orchestras, Black Dyke Band (Festival of Brass), the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain, and as a featured soloist at the European Championships Gala Concert and National Brass Band Championships Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. In 2008 he released his first solo CD, “Debut” to critical acclaim.