Lalo Schifrin’s Tuba Concerto and Mission Impossible Theme: Featuring Gene Pokorny, tuba
The Tuba Concerto was composed in 2016 by Lalo Schifrin for our guest artist Gene Pokorny. This intricately orchestrated and technically demanding work challenges traditional perceptions of the tuba. Rather than the familiar “oompah” foundation, Schifrin’s concerto reveals the tuba’s agility and lyricism, featuring soaring high-register passages that at times resemble the sound of French horns.
Schifrin described the exhilarating piece as using “a musical language that oscillates between baroque, 20th-century music and American jazz.” In addition to showcasing the soloist’s virtuosity, the concerto features a richly textured orchestration including elaborate percussion, celesta, harp, and harpsichord (played by synthesizer). Pokorny gave the premiere on March 3, 2018, with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra. Major ensembles, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, have since performed the work.
The story behind the concerto is equally engaging. Pokorny first learned of the commission through an unexpected phone call from Schifrin himself. Though surprised, Pokorny was hardly unknown in musical circles. A California native, he studied with prominent West Coast teachers and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He contributed to numerous popular film soundtracks, including Jurassic Park, The Fugitive, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. He readily accepted the challenge and has said of the concerto, “I think it’s pretty special. It’s grown on me quite a bit.”
The Iconic Mission Impossible Theme
Pokorny will also perform Schifrin’s instantly recognizable Mission Impossible Theme, composed for the 1966 television series. Famous for its unusual 5/4-time signature and driving rhythmic tension, the piece features a distinctive low brass trill, bongo rhythms, and a bold spy-thriller motif often said to echo Morse code for “M.I.” (dash-dash, dot-dot).
Schifrin’s working title for the piece was “Burning Fuse.” He later compared writing it to composing a letter: “When you write a letter, you don’t have to think what grammar or what syntaxes you’re going to use—you just write a letter. And that’s the way it came.” He estimated he wrote the main theme in just 90 seconds and completed the full arrangement in three minutes.
Schifrin’s theme won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Theme, and he also received the Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show in 1968. In 2017, his 1967 recording of the theme was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The concerto and encore together highlight the tuba’s remarkable versatility, blending jazz-inflected syncopation with classical sophistication.
Lalo Schifrin (1932–2025) was a prolific Argentine-American pianist, composer, and conductor renowned for his iconic film and television scores. A master at blending jazz with classical, orchestral, and Latin influences, he earned six Academy Award nominations, five Grammy Awards, and received an Honorary Academy Award in 2019.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Schifrin studied at the Paris Conservatoire before becoming a prominent jazz pianist and arranger, notably collaborating with Dizzy Gillespie. He went on to compose more than 100 film scores, working frequently with Clint Eastwood on films such as Dirty Harry and Coogan’s Bluff, and scoring classics including Enter the Dragon and Cool Hand Luke.
In addition to his work in film, Schifrin maintained a distinguished classical career, conducting major orchestras including the London Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He passed away on June 26, 2025, leaving a legacy of music that continues to bridge genres and generations.
Gene Pokorny has served as Principal Tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1989. Before joining Chicago, he held principal tuba positions with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Utah Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. During his time in Los Angeles, he performed on the soundtracks for major motion pictures, including Jurassic Park and The Fugitive.
When he is not anchoring the back row at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Pokorny is in demand worldwide as a teacher and soloist. He regularly appears at music festivals and presents solo recitals across the globe. He has been honored with an Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of Southern California and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Redlands. He currently lectures and teaches at Roosevelt University and Northwestern University and directs the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar.
Of special interest to the Cheyenne community, Pokorny is an avid railroad enthusiast. A member of the Union Pacific Historical Society and the Union Pacific Steam Club, he proudly embraces the nickname “foamer”, a term affectionately given to devoted railfans who are said to “foam at the mouth” at the sight of a steam engine.