Blaine Cunningham has served as principal tuba of Orchestra Iowa since 2010. He teaches on the faculty of the Orchestra Iowa School and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, and previously taught at Grinnell College. He is also a founding member of the Iowa Brass Collective. In addition to his active classical, opera, ballet, pops, and chamber performance schedule with Orchestra Iowa, Blaine is also the orchestra librarian and personnel manager.
Their performances are frequently broadcast statewide on Iowa Public Radio and Iowa Public Television. Blaine can also be heard on Orchestra Iowa’s recently released recording of Michael Daugherty’s American Gothic (now available on iTunes) which they premiered in 2013, and on Mike Forbes’ new solo album Forbes Plays Forbes (available at www.ebrassmusic.com).
Other performance credits include the South Dakota Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, Oshkosh Symphony, and the Northwest Arkansas Symphony. Blaine has performed as a featured soloist with the Northwest Arkansas Symphony, Texas Woman’s University Wind Ensemble, University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra, University of Iowa Concert Band, and the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band.
In addition to his private teaching, Blaine teaches at the Lakeland College Music Camp every summer and also performs educational concerts for over 40 schools in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City with the Orchestra Iowa Brass Quintet.
He studied at the University of Arkansas, the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and the University of Iowa.
His teachers include John Manning, John Stevens, Benjamin Pierce, Russell Pettitt, and Kabin Thomas.
Blaine plays on the Miraphone 1292 and Firebird tubas.
Orchestra Iowa - Principal Tuba, Librarian, Personnel Manager
Kirkwood Community College - Adjunct Faculty
Their performances are frequently broadcast statewide on Iowa Public Radio and Iowa Public Television. Blaine can also be heard on Orchestra Iowa’s recently released recording of Michael Daugherty’s American Gothic (now available on iTunes) which they premiered in 2013, and on Mike Forbes’ new solo album Forbes Plays Forbes (available at www.ebrassmusic.com).
Other performance credits include the South Dakota Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, Oshkosh Symphony, and the Northwest Arkansas Symphony. Blaine has performed as a featured soloist with the Northwest Arkansas Symphony, Texas Woman’s University Wind Ensemble, University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra, University of Iowa Concert Band, and the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band.
In addition to his private teaching, Blaine teaches at the Lakeland College Music Camp every summer and also performs educational concerts for over 40 schools in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City with the Orchestra Iowa Brass Quintet.
He studied at the University of Arkansas, the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and the University of Iowa.
His teachers include John Manning, John Stevens, Benjamin Pierce, Russell Pettitt, and Kabin Thomas.
Blaine plays on the Miraphone 1292 and Firebird tubas.
Orchestra Iowa - Principal Tuba, Librarian, Personnel Manager
Kirkwood Community College - Adjunct Faculty
Email: blainecunningham@gmail.com
