History of the CSO Brass: Legacy of Excellence
Join CSO trumpet John Hagstrom to explore the history of the CSO Brass. You’ll hear the sound of a few historical CSO instruments and hear stories from some of the most famous CSO brass musicians, including Adolph Herseth, Dale Clevenger, Jay Friedman and Arnold Jacobs, as they explain their part in creating the transformational energy that only the CSO can deliver. Premiering December 7 on CSOtv and YouTube.
Announcing the 2022 IHS Composition Contest
There are Two Divisions
- 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.
- 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.)
2020 IHS Composition Contest Results
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)
Revised IHS Scholarship Procedures and Deadlines
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:- one etude
- two orchestral excerpts
- 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!
James Boldin Named New Publications Editor
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
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| 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.
IHS 52 Cancellation
A message from Andrew Pelletier, President of the International Horn Society
It is with great sadness and with a very heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of IHS52 at the University of Oregon, Eugene. As the months of this pandemic have progressed, it has became clear that the health and safety of our members, vendors and the concert-going public should be first and foremost in our minds.
With the University moving to online instruction for the duration of its Summer Session, and International travel bans still enforced, it is clear that it would be impossible for the Society to move forward with having our Symposium in August.
The Advisory Council would like to express our great thanks and appreciation to Lydia Van Dreel for her excellent organization and her tireless work on this Symposium. Later this summer, we will be announcing this year’s honorees, the new members of our Advisory Council, and will also be unveiling IHS53, so watch www.hornsociety.org for these very important announcements.
The International Horn Society would not exist without our members, and it is for the protection of all that we have made this difficult decision. We look forward to the first opportunity we have to come together, learn from one another, play music together, and enjoy the nobility and beauty of our most incredible instrument.
- All participant and exhibitor fees will be fully refunded
- Refunds are automatic — there is no need for you to do anything at the moment
- When your refund has been processed, you will be notified by email
- It may take until the end of May for all refunds to be fully processed
Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated
Please understand that these are unprecedented times for everyone, and the University of Oregon is handling numerous cancellations and restructuring of courses for online teaching. Your patience is appreciated.
Horn Tunes March/April Challenge
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.”
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