Tuba Olka Signature Series

The Sweet Spot of Sound and Comfort

Renowned tubist and educator, Chris Olka, has long searched for a mouthpiece that blends tonal richness with comfort, power and control. The result is the Laskey Olka 31PF Signature Tuba Mouthpiece, a model designed to handle the full range of contrabass playing with ease, from delicate chamber works to the most demanding orchestral passages. Whether you’re anchoring the low end of a brass section or stepping out for a solo, this mouthpiece delivers a resonant, warm sound that projects clearly and consistently across all dynamics.

Built with a medium-wide, deep funnel cup and a rounded, comfortable rim, the Olka 31PF offers a secure feel and effortless response throughout the register. Its balanced design helps support flexibility and endurance, making it an ideal choice for players who need one mouthpiece that does it all. Chris and the team at Laskey spent countless hours refining this model to meet the real-world demands of professional tubists - those who value tone, response, and all-day playability in equal measure.

“I’ve been working for years to find a mouthpiece that provides balance in all aspects of playing, while remaining comfortable and responsive. I’ve always admired the tone produced by players using the Classic 30H, but never felt comfortable with the rim. With this signature model I have found the “sweet spot” for my all-around playing needs.”

About Chris Olka

Chris Olka has held orchestra positions in Cincinnati Symphony, Pops, Opera and Ballet, as well as Seattle Symphony and Opera. His other orchestral experience includes Principal Tuba of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra, Guest Principal Tuba with the Boston and Chicago Symphonies, New York Philharmonic, and National Orchestra of Spain.

From 1989 to 1999, Chris was an active freelancer working as staff musician in the Walt Disney World bands in Florida and brass quintets, dixieland bands, and most of the major orchestras in the New York area while completing his Masters degree at The Juilliard School.

An active soloist and advocate of solo tuba literature, Chris has performed around the world in recital and masterclass in addition to numerous orchestra, brass band, and wind ensemble solo appearances. His premiere of the Samuel Jones Concerto for Tuba, recorded with the Seattle Symphony, can be heard on the Naxos label.

A pioneer in the use of internet and social media to reach new audiences, Chris started a YouTube channel in 2011 dedicated to education, product reviews, and all things tuba-related. His channel has thousands of subscribers and hundreds of thousands of views from around the globe. His website, chrisolka.com also hosts these videos along with a growing catalog of transcriptions of music arranged for solo tuba.

His teachers include Warren Deck, Joe Alessi, Abe Torchinsky, and Don Harwood.

Chris is proud to be a Laskey Mouthpieces and Eastman Winds Performing Artist.