Listen to the greats...
Humans are a mimicking species. Monkey see, monkey do. Monkey hear great horn players, Monkey play great horn! Listen to the masters of the horn and try to imitate their sound, musicality, stability, and control. Here are some of the finest horn players, past and present. Go explore!
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DENNIS BRAIN (1921-1957)
Mr. Brain is considered the most famous horn player and is credited as being the person who brought the horn into the spot light. He was called a "prodigy" and "the genius who tamed the horn." His performance of the Mozart Horn Concertos with Herbert van Karajan are considered the definitive recordings. Composers often wrote new works for Mr. Brain including Paul Hindemith, Benjamin Britten, Malcolm Arnold, and Gordon Jacob. Tragically, Dennis Brain died at the age of 36. He loved fast cars and accidentally drove off the road and hit a tree. Listen to his famous recording of the Mozart Horn Concerto no. 1. |
PHILIP FARKAS (1914-1992)
Mr. Farkas was the principal horn player for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a number of years, but retired and devoted himself to teaching. He wrote a collection of books, but the most famous is The Art of French Horn Playing. The Art of Brass Playing, The Art of Musicianship, and A Photo Study of 40 Virtuoso Horn Players' Embouchures have also been standard reading. Listen to him play Mozart's Second Horn Concerto. |
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VINCE DeROSA (b. 1920)
Mr. DeRosa is someone that you have heard even though you have probably heard his name. When he was 17, he earned a job playing horn at 20th Century Fox Studios. He has played on the soundtracks of thousands of movies and tens of thousands of recordings. Vince has performed with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, played horn in movies like The Sound of Music and Rocky and TV shows like Star Trek and The Simpsons. Wow! Listen to his sweet sound in the soundtrack for the movie Rocky III. |
DALE CLEVENGER (b. 1940)
Mr. Clevenger was a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 2013. He started playing trumpet at age 11 and then switched to horn. His playing has been labeled "satin smooth" and having a "mellow radiance and gentle flow." In 2003, Dale performed Concerto for Horn and Orchestra written for him by film composer John Williams. Listen to him play Richard Strauss' Horn Concerto no .1. |
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SARAH WILLIS (b. 1969)
Ms. Willis is a british horn player. She is the first woman ever to play in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which she has been a member since 2001. As a touring soloist, she has played all over the world. She has played with the London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestras. She has her own German TV show, Sarah's Place. Listen and watch her play the second movement from Brahms' Horn Trio. |
FELIX KLIESER (b. 1991)
Mr. Klieser has a truly remarkable story. He was born with no arms, yet beautifully plays the french horn. How? With his toes. He is a featured soloist and has toured with Grammy-winning artist, Sting. He playing is emotional and thought-provoking. Felix surely embodies the spirit of music. He has two solo CDs. Listen and watch Felix play a duet with Sarah Willis. Check him out playing a more serious piece, Robert Schumann's "Adagio und Allegro As-Dur für Horn und Klavier." |
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MARC PAPEGHIN
Marc Papeghin is a French trumpet and horn player who has some fun arrangements for the horn. He explores video game music, progressive metal, and the movies of John Williams, He makes his living partially as an internet musician. Check out his exciting music videos. |