Details

Published: 16 September 2021

There are Two Divisions

1. The Featured Composition Division: Compositions in this division are works of moderate difficulty. “In the featured DIVISION, the horn part should be playable by the entire spectrum of Hornists within the International Horn Society: Students, Amateurs, and Professionals. It should have musical content that would have the integrity to honor the professional hornists—yet within the pitch and technical range of the panorama of student and amateur players.
2. The Virtuoso Composition Division: Compositions in this division had no difficulty limitation and were from one of the following instrumentation categories.

Instrumentation

FEATURED DIVISION:

• Compositions for solo horn and keyboard instrument. (Keyboard instruments may include piano, harpsichord, organ, electronic keyboard, or mallet percussion.)

VIRTUOSO DIVISION:

• Compositions for Solo Horn (alone/unaccompanied)
• Compositions for Solo Horn with Vocal Ensemble
• Compositions for Horn Ensemble (two or more players, all horns)
• Horn with chamber ensemble of three or more players (one horn part only) (The chamber ensemble may include any combination of electronic instruments, acoustic instruments and/or voices.  Electronic instruments may be live or pre-recorded. Acoustic instruments may include Wagner Tuben.)
• Solo Horn featured with large ensemble. (The large ensemble may include any group of electronic, acoustic instruments and/or voices. Electronic instruments may be live or pre-recorded. Acoustic instruments may include Wagner Tuben.)

  Read more: Announcing the 2022 IHS Composition Contest

Details

Published: 18 February 2021

We had a record number of eighty-eight, (88!) compositions submitted from sixteen (16) different countries.  Among this fine group of Horn compositions submitted, the judges have made the following selections:

The prize-winning composition for The Featured Division:

• Invocation for Eight Horns by Keaton Marek of Bruceville, Texas

The judges also made two Honorable Mention Citations in the Featured Division:

• Guiding Light for Horn Quartet or four-part Horn Choir by Chase Hampton of Hazel Green, Alabama and
• Pianto for Horn Quartet by Håkon Guttormsen of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The prize-winning composition for The Virtuoso Division:

• I Threw a Shoe at a Cat - Variations for Solo Horn by Kateryna (Catherine) Likhuta of St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.

The judges also made four Honorable Mention Citations in the Virtuoso Division:

• Three Pieces for a Newborn for Horn and Vocal Ensemble by Álvaro Artuñedo of Giessen, Germany
• Legacy Concerto for Horn, Percussion, Timpani, Harp, and Strings by Aaron Jay Kernis of New York, New York
• Jam and Toast for Solo Horn by Aaron Houston of Tallahassee, Florida
• Meccanicorno for Horn and Prepared Piano by Theo Chandler of Houston, Texas

Randall Faust, Composition Contest Coordinator

2020 Composition Contest Report,  pdf Part 3 of 3(68 KB)

Details

Published: 21 October 2020

The IHS announces a new calendar and changes to 2020-2021 IHS Scholarship Competitions!

What’s new?

IHS Scholarship competition deadlines will be spread out over the entire year:

• Dec. 1 Tuckwell (includes recordings) 
• Jan. 1 Mansur (essay/letter only--no recording)
• Feb. 1 Frizelle (includes recordings)
• Mar. 1 Hawkins (includes recordings)
• Apr. 1 Premiere Soloist: virtual prelim, live finals round on-line during IHS 53!

Repertoire requirements have been updated to include unaccompanied solos, and optional piano 

First competition of the year: Barry Tuckwell award

• Application deadline December 1, 2020
• Age requirement: 18-24 on January 1, 2020
• Quick-look application requirements
  Two essays, and a recording(s) of the applicant playing:
  1. one etude
  2. two orchestral excerpts
  3. one movement of a concerto/sonata/unaccompanied piece
       (Piano accompaniment is optional)
• Award: One award of up to $500 will be used to help pay the registration, room and board, and travel costs to attend any master class, workshop or symposium in which the applicant will study with master hornists and perform.
• Award: The winner will also receive a one-year IHS membership.

The Barry Tuckwell Award was established in 1997 to honor the IHS Founding President and is designed to encourage and support worthy horn students as they pursue education and performance opportunities by attending and participating in masterclasses and workshops throughout the world.

Click here for more details and application requirements

More info to come regarding the other competitions, check the website for changes!

Details

Published: 02 July 2020

The International Horn Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James Boldin as its new Publications Editor, after a nearly year-long International search. He will transition into the role over the summer with Dr. William Scharnberg, who is retiring from the position after 17 years of dedicated service to the Society. On behalf of the IHS Advisory Council and Executive Committee, WELCOME to the team, James!

Andrew Pelletier, President

Photo by Christina Cavitt

James Boldin is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana Monroe, and maintains a diverse career as an educator and performer. He also serves as Associate Director of the ULM School of Visual and Performing Arts. He has performed and presented at the International Horn Symposium, the International Trombone Festival, the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the International Women’s Brass Conference, and numerous state and regional events. Boldin is proud to be a Yamaha Performing Artist, and performs on YHR 671 and YHR 667V horns. He performs extensively with Black Bayou Brass and Trio Mélange, resident faculty ensembles at ULM, and has given recitals and master classes throughout the region and abroad. In 2018, Black Bayou Brass released Scenes from the Bayou (Mark Records), which features several World Premiere recordings for brass trio.

An active orchestral musician, Boldin holds positions with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and Monroe Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Lyric Opera, Opera East Texas, and with numerous orchestras in the Midwest. As an advocate for new music, Boldin has commissioned and premiered numerous compositions for horn solo, brass trio, brass quintet, and other chamber ensembles.

His solo recording, Jan Koetsier: Music for Horn (MSR Classics), has been critically praised for “superb playing…on an extraordinarily high level of both technique and communicative abilities.” (Fanfare Magazine). He has authored two books, Solo Training for Horn and Solo Training Duets for Horns (Mountain Peak Music), and has published dozens of articles, reviews, and musical arrangements. In 2012 and 2015, he was awarded Career Advancement Grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts. Boldin earned the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied with Douglas Hill, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Appalachian State University, where he studied with Karen Robertson. He is a member of The College Music Society, The National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and The International Horn Society, and currently serves as IHS area representative for the state of Louisiana.

Details

Published: 23 March 2019

I have a confession to make. I do not like playing cadenzas. Those already included in printed editions don’t cater to my strengths (and often expose my weaknesses), but I don’t like writing my own. I’m working on new cadenzas for an upcoming performance, and it’s been difficult. For this Horn Tunes challenge, I challenge you to submit your cadenzas! Please include which concerto and movement that the cadenza belongs to. Also indicate whether it’s written pitch or transposed for Horn in F. I look forward to seeing your submissions! If I come up with anything worthwhile, I’ll share mine too!

Anna Leverenz, Editor

Please send submissions in PDF format to horntunes@hornsociety.org with the subject line “Horn Tunes.”

Details

Published: 18 January 2019

There are many techniques that can challenge horn players of all levels. This winter, I encourage you to write an etude or exercise that addresses an area you are developing in your own practice. Please title these etudes with the technique developed. For example, “Etude No. 1 (Lip Trills).” These titles will help other hornists find your exercise. Hopefully, your work will help others learn and improve!

I look forward to your submissions! Please send submissions in PDF format to horntunes@hornsociety.org with the subject line “Horn Tunes.”

Anna Leverenz
Horn Tunes Editor