Former University of Miami Tuba Professor Dies at 88

Constance (Connie) Weldon, the first female professional tubist in the United States, passed away on August 7, 2020, at the age of 88. A native of Florida, Weldon received a scholarship to study tuba at the University of Miami with Bower Murphy. During this time, Weldon participated in the Tanglewood Music Festival where she played under the baton of Leonard Bernstein. In 1951, rather than joining the Rio de Janeiro Symphony, she continued her studies at Miami.

After completing her Bachelor’s (1952) and Master’s (1954) degrees from Miami, Weldon again attended Tanglewood which led to an audition for Arthur Fiedler’s Boston Pops. During the rest of the 1950s, she would perform with the North Carolina Symphony, the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, and the Kansas City Philharmonic (now Kansas City Symphony). With these pioneering accomplishments, she is considered the first woman to hold a principal tuba position with a major symphony orchestra.

As talented as she was in performance, teaching and mentoring will be her lasting legacy. After two years in Kansas City, Weldon returned to Miami to join the University’s music faculty and perform in the Miami Philharmonic. During her tenure as the tuba professor, she would form the University of Miami Tuba Ensemble as well as lead the University’s Brass Choir to become the premier ensembles at the school. Her students include Sam Pilafian, James Jenkins, Bill Krantz, and countless others. In addition to teaching, Weldon also served as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies for Miami’s School of Music from 1972 until her retirement in 1991.

Funeral arrangements are being held by Peacock, Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service in Southport, North Carolina.

Click here to see more photos of the wonderful life of Connie Weldon.

The article was updated on August 18, 2020, at 7:59 am.