Jay Uschold is a Canadian tuba player who was appointed principal tuba of the Calgary Philharmonic in 2026. Jay was previously the principal tuba of the Victoria Symphony, the Royal Canadian Artillery band in Edmonton AB, and has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Calgary, Jay began his musical career performing with the Calgary Boys Choir. Upon entering high school, he started playing tuba and never looked back. Jay graduated with a Bachelor's degree in music performance from the University of Manitoba studying with Chris Lee and Bobbie Fast. He earned his Master’s of Music at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Kyle Turner and David Finlayson. Other teachers include Peder Maclellan, Nick Atkinson and Tom McCaslin.
Jay made his solo debut in April 2023 with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, performing the Vaughan Williams Concerto for Bass tuba at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton. Jay returned to the stage in 2025 to present the Canadian premier of Luis Cardoso’s Double Concertino for Tuba and Tenor Sax in April of 2025.
Outside of music, Jay enjoys watching obscure horror films, playing squash and spending time with his wife and their cat.
Endowed Chair in Honour of Tom McCaslin