2011 Northwest Horn Symposium
April 8-10, 2011
Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
by Jeffrey Snedeker
The 2011 Northwest Horn Symposium was held April 8-10 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Featured Artists Frank Lloyd, Frøydis Ree Wekre, and Andrew Clark attracted about 100 participants from all over the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Alberta, and more. Each Featured Artist performed, led a masterclass, and gave some sort of presentation on a topic of their choice. The weekend began with a masterclass led by Frøydis Ree Wekre, whose wonderful “way” got the players to show their best. Friday night’s main event was Frank Lloyd’s recital, preceded by a pre-concert concert by the CWU Horn Ensemble, directed by symposium host Jeff Snedeker. Frank’s recital was a two-hour tour de force, including works by Bozza, Defaye, Borodin, Basler, Bach, Pirchner, and ending with the Jacob Concerto.
Saturday began with a guided warmup led by Lydia Van Dreel (University of Orgeon), followed by a talk on teaching by Frøydis, and a masterclass led by Frank. The afternoon began with a pre-concert concert by the Oregon State University Horn Choir (Lawrence Johnson, director) followed by a recital of regional artists, including Stacey Eliason (Seattle), Gina Gillie (Pacific Lutheran University), Steve Denroche (Vancouver BC Opera), Sean Brown (Sunnyside, WA) and Jeff Snedeker, playing works by Gounod and Kuhlau as well as Northwest composers Edstrom and Gillie. Lecture presentations by Gillie (“The Singing Horn”) and Paulette Altman (Seattle; “Incorporating Horn Ensemble Playing into the Junior High and High School Private Teaching Studio”) rounded out the afternoon activities.
Saturday evening began with a pre-concert concert by Altman’s Horn Choir, consisting of 16 players from 6th-12th grade. The main concert of the evening featured Andrew Clark and Musica Antiqua, CWU’s early music faculty-student collective, with guests from around the Northwest, performing works of J.S. Bach. The works chosen all were orchestrated with two horns, and Clark was joined by Jeff Snedeker to perform Cantatas 1 and 40, followed by the hit of the evening, Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. Clark’s corno da caccia playing was spectacular, offering a historical perspective on these works that is rarely heard in person.
Sunday began bright and early with a warmup guided by Frank Lloyd, followed by meetings of the Northwest Horn Society and International Horn Society. All in attendance were encouraged to join and participate actively in both societies, and to attend events like the 43rd International Horn Symposium in San Francisco this coming June. Andrew Clark then led a masterclass and gave a presentation on historical instruments and performing practices. The final event of the weekend was a gala concert featuring performances by Frøydis, the Four X Four Horn Quartet (Seattle), the CWU Alumni Horn Ensemble, and The Northwest Horn Symposium Massed Ensemble, directed by Dawn Haylett (Vancouver, BC).
A mock audition competition was held for high and low horns, and the winners were Rebecca Olason, high horn (University of Oregon), and John Geiger, low horn (CWU). The judges over the course of the preliminary and final rounds were John Cox (Oregon Symphony), Kathleen Vaught Farner, Stacey Elaison, Steve Denroche, and Lydia Van Dreel. The Northwest Horn Society also awarded three scholarships to support student attendance at the event. The winners were Hope Evans, Christopher Mischenko, and Kristen Monk. Registration discounts were given for membership in the IHS and NwHS, as well as to enrolled students, and for early registration.
In between events, participants had opportunities to visit exhibitors and socialize. The best, most encouraging aspect of the event was the surprising presence of junior high, high school, and college students, who filled the masterclasses and made up almost half of the participants. In all, the weekend was a wonderful celebration of the horn, its music, its history, and its pedagogy.
The CWU Horn Club worked overtime to make sure the event ran smoothly, and is grateful for generous support from a number of sources, including the International Horn Society, the Northwest Horn Society, and CWU’s Music Department. In the end, however, it is the participants who make the event a success, and the host and CWU students offer their heartfelt thanks to all who made the trip to Ellensburg.
Saturday began with a guided warmup led by Lydia Van Dreel (University of Orgeon), followed by a talk on teaching by Frøydis, and a masterclass led by Frank. The afternoon began with a pre-concert concert by the Oregon State University Horn Choir (Lawrence Johnson, director) followed by a recital of regional artists, including Stacey Eliason (Seattle), Gina Gillie (Pacific Lutheran University), Steve Denroche (Vancouver BC Opera), Sean Brown (Sunnyside, WA) and Jeff Snedeker, playing works by Gounod and Kuhlau as well as Northwest composers Edstrom and Gillie. Lecture presentations by Gillie (“The Singing Horn”) and Paulette Altman (Seattle; “Incorporating Horn Ensemble Playing into the Junior High and High School Private Teaching Studio”) rounded out the afternoon activities.
Saturday evening began with a pre-concert concert by Altman’s Horn Choir, consisting of 16 players from 6th-12th grade. The main concert of the evening featured Andrew Clark and Musica Antiqua, CWU’s early music faculty-student collective, with guests from around the Northwest, performing works of J.S. Bach. The works chosen all were orchestrated with two horns, and Clark was joined by Jeff Snedeker to perform Cantatas 1 and 40, followed by the hit of the evening, Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. Clark’s corno da caccia playing was spectacular, offering a historical perspective on these works that is rarely heard in person.
Sunday began bright and early with a warmup guided by Frank Lloyd, followed by meetings of the Northwest Horn Society and International Horn Society. All in attendance were encouraged to join and participate actively in both societies, and to attend events like the 43rd International Horn Symposium in San Francisco this coming June. Andrew Clark then led a masterclass and gave a presentation on historical instruments and performing practices. The final event of the weekend was a gala concert featuring performances by Frøydis, the Four X Four Horn Quartet (Seattle), the CWU Alumni Horn Ensemble, and The Northwest Horn Symposium Massed Ensemble, directed by Dawn Haylett (Vancouver, BC).
A mock audition competition was held for high and low horns, and the winners were Rebecca Olason, high horn (University of Oregon), and John Geiger, low horn (CWU). The judges over the course of the preliminary and final rounds were John Cox (Oregon Symphony), Kathleen Vaught Farner, Stacey Elaison, Steve Denroche, and Lydia Van Dreel. The Northwest Horn Society also awarded three scholarships to support student attendance at the event. The winners were Hope Evans, Christopher Mischenko, and Kristen Monk. Registration discounts were given for membership in the IHS and NwHS, as well as to enrolled students, and for early registration.
In between events, participants had opportunities to visit exhibitors and socialize. The best, most encouraging aspect of the event was the surprising presence of junior high, high school, and college students, who filled the masterclasses and made up almost half of the participants. In all, the weekend was a wonderful celebration of the horn, its music, its history, and its pedagogy.
The CWU Horn Club worked overtime to make sure the event ran smoothly, and is grateful for generous support from a number of sources, including the International Horn Society, the Northwest Horn Society, and CWU’s Music Department. In the end, however, it is the participants who make the event a success, and the host and CWU students offer their heartfelt thanks to all who made the trip to Ellensburg.
| 2011 northwest horn symposium program.pdf |