Bay of Plenty Symphonia's final concert of 2016 will dispel everything you ever thought about the tuba.

The Symphonia presents Romancing the Tuba featuring guest soloist Tak Chun Lai at Baycourt's Addison Theatre on November 27.

Conducted by Justus Rozemond, the programme includes Tchaikovsky's ‘Romeo and Juliet', Ralph Vaughan Williams' ‘Tuba Concerto in F-minor' featuring guest soloist Tak Chun Lai, and Dvorak's ‘8th Symphony'.

'Tchaikovsky's passionate fantasy overture ‘Romeo and Juliet' is a very popular and highly romantic work, with its vibrant energy and yearning love theme overlying a sense of foreboding,” says Symphonia spokesperson Maggie Gething.

Next up is the rarely heard Tuba Concerto in F-minor featuring soloist Tak Chun Lai, and is the 'number one” concerto for tuba players as little solo repertoire written for them.

Lai, who is Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Tuba player, will use his international experience to show off the surprisingly virtuosic capabilities of the large brass instrument, adds Maggie.

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Tuba player Tak Chun Lai. Photo: YouTube

'The tuba is mainly known as a big, low pitched and sometimes comical instrument, but Williams' piece includes fast nimble passages which show how versatile it can be. The tuba also has beautiful lyrical qualities, particularly well expressed in Romanza, the second movement of this concerto.”

While Dvorak's 'cheerful and optimistic” 8th Symphony draws its inspiration from the composer's love of Bohemian folk music.

'It is a relatively short symphony in four movements, with representations of bird song, thunderstorms and lively dances,” says Maggie.

SunLive has a double pass to giveaway to one luck reader that can name the the guest soloist who'll be performing with the Bay of Plenty Symphonia for ‘Romancing the Tuba' on November 27?

Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section. All entries must be received by Wednesday, November 23.

Bay of Plenty Symphonia's Romancing the Tuba conducted by Justus Rozemond with guest soloist Tak Chun Lai is on at Baycourt's Addison Theatre on Sunday, November 27, from 3pm.

For more information and ticketing visit: www.bopsymphonia.org.nz

The Bay of Plenty Symphonia. File Photo.