KINGPIN: Tuba Concerto

I. Underworld
II. Empire
III. Rumble - Rave

Christmas Eve 2024, I received a text from my colleague and brilliant tubist Tom McCaslin proposing I write a concerto for him and wind ensemble. A few things immediately came to mind:
- Tom is a virtuoso beast! I've always loved his playing! 
- A tuba concerto has been on my bucket list for years.
- Ditto for wind ensemble.
We met for lunch and bounced some ideas. I was very inspired and eager to jump on this project. But I needed a theme...

Then I came across an artwork (by Jeff Dekal) of the Marvel Comic character Kingpin...and all synapses in my brain went nuclear. Being that Tom was a spitting image of the character, I decided to have some fun by casting him in the titular role and writing something that explored Kingpin's mythos in musical form.

For those who do not know the character, Kingpin (aka Wilson Fisk) is a mob boss who runs New York City's criminal underworld while presenting himself as a legitimate businessman and philanthropist. He is also the arch nemesis of Daredevil and Spiderman.

The first movement, I. Underworld, is my musical portrait of the criminal world Kingpin inhabits. To capture its dark essence while preserving Marvel Comics' depiction, I drew on many of the jazz noir influences I grew up with from watching heist films. I also incorporated various dance rhythms that are characteristic of my musical language (side note: I was once an avid dancer in my youth). 

The second movement, II. Empire, depicts the emotional history of Kingpin. I wanted to explore the bond he had with his mother and his complicated relationship with his abusive father. I felt that these childhood experiences - which solidified his protective nature and fierce brutality - laid the foundation for him to build his criminal empire while rising to become New York City's crime boss.

The third movement, III. Rumble - Rave, is in two parts. The first is my take on a rumble - an all-out fight between warring gangs or criminal organizations. Much like how Leonard Bernstein created a musical rumble in West Side Story, I was inspired to create my own but within the context of comic book culture. The music is driven by rapid-fire rhythms and punctuated riffs that harkens the spirit of crime noir. The second part depicts a rave scene that celebrates the tuba performance practice (this is most appropriate given how heavy bass lines are defining characteristics of rave music). During my youth, and before it became mainstream in the 2000s, raves were underground events that served as neutral spaces for the legal and illegal worlds to co-exist. I felt that this was the ideal way to capture the spirit of Kingpin's universe while highlighting the power of the tuba instrument.

Sadly, Tom McCaslin passed away in December 2025 before seeing the completion of the work. Prior to his death, he named his colleague Jarrett McCourt as the tubist he wanted to premiere and champion the concerto. I must thank Jarrett for taking on this project and seeing through Tom's legacy. I also thank Nikki McCaslin (Tom's wife) for her support throughout the creation of this work, and to Walt and Irene DeBoni for their generous assistance.

Art credit: Jeff Dekal

To order the score/part of the tuba and piano duo version, please contact the composer at: vince@vinceho.com