WELLINGTON, Fla. — Many people may have never heard of the instrument that Palm Beach Central High School senior Alex Rodriguez has come to love.
"This instrument is called euphonium," Rodriguez told WPTV morning news anchor Ashley Glass.
He explained it's in the same musical family as the tuba.
"It has such a beautiful sound," Rodriguez said.
He explained that the euphonium is usually played with three valves on one hand and one valve on the other. However, Rodriguez doesn't have a left hand.
To help overcome this challenge, Rodriguez was recently awarded a brand-new euphonium specially made for him thanks to the Palm Beach Symphony.
"So, how this instrument is for me is all the valves are in the front while still at professional level," Rodriguez explained.
"He took the instrument right out of the box and started playing in the middle of the store," Bryce Seliger, the Palm Beach Symphony's education and programming associate, said.
Rodriguez was gifted the instrument after winning third place in the 2025 Lisa Bruna B-Major Award.
"Alex stood out to us from the beginning," Seliger added. "He is musically gifted. He's an exceptional player."
“Most families have to decide between a car or this instrument," James Yaques, the band director at Palm Beach Central High School, said. "He came in as an average ninth-grader and he said one of his goals was to make it to the top band, which usually kids don't make until 11th or 12th grade, but he made that goal as a 10th grader and has been an all-county euphonium player."
Rodriguez told Glass that he's "very" thankful for the new instrument.
"Without this instrument, I wouldn't be able to compete at the same level. I don’t even know how to explain it. This instrument is everything," Rodriguez said. “They see me with one arm playing an instrument. That just drives so many people to go out and try themselves as well."
Click here to learn about eligibility and future Lisa Bruna B-Major Award competitions by visiting the Palm Beach Symphony website.
