If a prize were given for the guest artist who will travel the farthest to perform in this year’s Octubafest celebration, it would go to tuba soloist Øystein Baadsvik and accompanying pianist Jorgen Larsen, both of Norway, who will present a Center Stage recital at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29, in Wattenbarger Auditorium.

Baadsvik is unique because he is a full-time tuba soloist. His first solo CD was released in the early 1990s, and American Record Guide wrote, “This spectacular recording establishes Baadsvik as one of the best tuba soloists in the world.”

He began playing the tuba at the age of 15 and soon decided to explore its possibilities as a solo instrument, winning first prize in a Norwegian national competition for soloists when he was 18. Within the next two years, Baadsvik had made his own programs for Norwegian radio and had performed as a soloist with most of Norway’s professional symphony orchestras.

His latest CD, “Tuba Carnival,” was released on the BSI label in 40 countries in September 2003 and its first edition sold out in six days, leading the recording company to offer Baadsvik an exclusive contract.

Larsen is an assistant professor at the Music Conservatory of Trondheim, Norway, and he has performed with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra frequently since 1977. He’s also a member of the Trondheim Quartet, which recently issued a CD of Johannes Brahms’ piano quartets in g-minor and c-minor, and has recorded his first solo CD of 20th century masterpieces.

For more information about this or other Octubafest events, visit orgs.tntech.edu/tuba/index.html.