James Samuel Pilafian, born on October 25, 1949, in Miami, Florida, United States, was a tuba player. He earned his bachelor's degree from University of Miami in 1972 and began performing internationally. Pilafian collaborated with Leonard Bernstein for the world premiere of Mass at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, co-founded the Empire Brass Quintet, toured with Boston Brass and performed with Duke Ellington Orchestra. His discography included albums such as Travelin’ Light (1991) and Jazz! (1999). Pilafian taught at Arizona State University, the University of Miami and North Dakota State University. He passed away from colon cancer complications on April 5, 2019.
