General Info:
About Tuba Exchange Vincent Simonetti is the founder and president, Tuba Exchange, Inc, currently serving as CEO of the privately held company. Vince, a lifelong tubist, is a native of New Jersey, and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, New York City. As an undergraduate scholarship student at Manhattan, and as a graduate student, Vince studied tuba performance with William Bell, Joseph Novotny, Harvey Phillips, and Herbert Wexelblatt. After graduation, he also had the opportunity to, study with the legendary Arnold Jacobs. During his young adult performing years, Vince performed professionally on tuba with Lake George Opera Company and with the Metropolitan Opera stage band for a production of Verdi's La Traviata. He also toured coast to coast with Moiseieff Ballet Company of Russia, Martha Graham Dance Company, and the Paul Lavalle Band of America. Vince moved to North Carolina in 1967, after winning the audition for principal tuba for The North Carolina Symphony, and held that position from 1967 to 1975. Later on, in the performance arena, Vince was busy locally as conductor and founding director of The Durham Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble he launched in 1976 and conducted until 1983 and which remains viable today as a regional classical music venue. Nurturing his passion for the tuba, its design and promotion, by the mid-1980's, Vince had gradually moved his musical instrument business enterprise into a dynamic customer service niche specializing strictly in tubas and euphoniums. While attending a national manufacturers' tradeshow in Chicago in June, 1984, Vince received such thoughtful and enthusiastic confirmation of his business plan from various sectors of the international brass manufacturing world that the idea for The Tuba Exchange took shape in the catalyst of the moment. Vince and Ethel Simonetti formally incorporated Tuba Exchange, Inc in 1993, and continue to operate the Company on Vince's original business property, now expanded to double its operational and display space. Currently, Vince continues to play tuba in a variety of area performance groups as principal tuba for The Durham ( NC ) and Raleigh ( NC ) Symphony Orchestras ; guest tubist with the Triangle Wind Ensemble ; and tuba and sousaphone with the Moore Square Dixielanders and the Magnolia Klezmer Band. When Vince is not presiding over The Tuba Exchange, or performing on tuba, he enjoys baking bread, jogging, and pursuing his interests in etymology and archeology, in his spare time.