by Michael Estrella

They are not just a group of horn players, they are a family who makes music together.

Dennis, Michael, Jovina, and Celso (L-R in the photo) constitute the horn section of the 96-year old Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), one of the oldest orchestras in Asia, and the most active, living artistic institution in the Philippines. Although the players vary widely in age, their passion for playing makes it natural for them to keep learning and mastering their craft for the benefit of their section and, certainly, of the orchestra to which they belong. It is not just about playing their instruments; it is about tuning into each other and harmonizing with the music and the collective whole.

Let’s get to know the horn players of the Manila Symphony Orchestra:

Celso De Leon Jr. was born into a family of musicians and has been playing the horn for several decades. He started to play the instrument at age 10 under the guidance of his uncle, Virgilio De Leon, a clarinetist, and he is the third generation in his family to become a member of the MSO. Celso was one the pioneering members when the MSO was reorganized in 2001, and he is currently principal horn. Although Celso studied Business Management at the University of the East in Manila, music is his passion. He pursued his career as a horn player under the tutelage of Prof. Leopoldo Lopez and Danielle Kuhlman. Aside from his work in MSO, Celso has also been a member of the Manila City Band since 1987. 

Michael Estrella has been a member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra since 2014 and is currently assistant principal of the section. In 2020, he was named first runner-up in the Philippine Hornplayers Society’s First Leopoldo Lopez Horn Competition in which he performed Richard Strauss’ Andante for Horn and Piano. In the same year, he also won 2nd place in the individual French Horn/Mellophone Open Class in the Asian Virtual Championships, a well-known marching band competition. Michael was the principal horn player for the Bureau of Fire Protection NCR Marching Band in 2009. He was recently appointed to be a leader and teacher of beginner musicians of the marching band, Malabon Banda Cuatro. He remains active in chamber music (woodwind and brass quintets), and he is also a member of Philippine Hornplayers Society.

Dennis Cruz was also one the pioneering members when the MSO was reorganized 21 years ago. He was born into a family of musicians and started learning music when he was 10 years old. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in French Horn and Percussion at the University of the Philippines in the classes of Prof. Leopoldo Lopez (horn) and Prof. Leo Roque (percussion). Dennis has served as a percussion mentor for the Darangan Drum and Bells in 2016, Mabuhay Drum and Bells in 2018, and Dona Justa Guido Madrigal Drum and Bells from 2017-2019. He was a member of The Metro Manila Community Orchestra (2000-2001) and UP Symphonic Band (1994-1996). Along with the MSO, Dennis is also presently a member of Quezon City Symphonic Band and Binangonan Youth Band 83.

Jovina Francisco-Halcon’s love for playing the horn began when she attended a camp held by the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band in 2004. She continued to participate in the music camps, and this had a profound impact on her as it enabled her to develop her playing and so ignited her passion for the instrument that she decided to pursue a degree in music. Jovina graduated with her Bachelor of Music degree in French Horn from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, having studied with professors Leopoldo Lopez, Neptalie Villanueva, and Mahler Villanueva. While pursuing her degree, she was a member of the UP Symphonic Band and the UP Orchestra. Jovina joined the Manila Symphony Orchestra in 2015, right after her graduation.

As individual musicians and as a group, the MSO horns work constantly to cultivate their sensitivity to the sound of every note, practicing not only their orchestral pieces but also horn quartets to maintain the tightness of the section, and to improve ensemble playing and harmony with the rest of the orchestra. Following the lead of their principal and working collectively, they create a more melodic, cohesive sound that leaves the audience in a place of awe.

by David Griffin

Dale Clevenger and David Griffin together in Salzburg, Austria.
(photo credit Todd Rosenberg)

Many people will remember Dale for his epic Mahler and Strauss horn calls, his fearless rides into the stratosphere, and his endlessly long lyrical lines. Of course, those are all very true and memorable, but I will most remember Dale for his kindness and patience when I was a new member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra horn section.

Rather than pointing out shortcomings, Dale did whatever he could to encourage and welcome newcomers. Suggestions were few and far between, which greatly helped a new player feel comfortable in an unfamiliar situation. On the rare occasion when Dale addressed the horn section in rehearsal, he always phrased the request in the politest form possible.

After I had been in the CSO for about a year, I mentioned to Dale that he never seemed to be worried about anything. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “David, I’m a very good actor.” I suppose so, because his outwardly carefree attitude, during even the most high-pressure situations, demonstrated to the section that communicating the musical content took precedence over just hitting right notes on the horn. In my lessons with Dale, he spoke about “controlled abandon” as a goal for performances. Later as a colleague, what incredible joy it brought me to hear him up close in the orchestra, performing so fearlessly and with controlled abandon.

Dale’s spot-on imitations of conductors kept us laughing. Speaking of conductors, none ever rattled him. Rather, the occasional inexperienced conductor might quickly learn not to try and fix what wasn’t broken.

Everyone has their own favorite playlist of Dale’s greatest moments, on which I cannot improve. An interesting comparison, though, would be to listen to Mahler’s Third Symphony with then-Music Director Jean Martinon conducting the orchestra in a live performance from 1967, Dale’s “freshman year.” He sounds very good, but in hearing that recording, there’s no way to imagine the type of musician and horn player into which Dale would evolve. Given the chance to serve as CSO’s principal horn, Dale seized the opportunity and performed in a manner that raised expectations for all horn players in ways previously unimagined.

The 20th century is well documented with many commercial and live recordings of the entire orchestral repertoire. No one sounded like Dale prior to his tenure—although not long after establishing himself in the CSO, everyone was trying to sound like him. Dale was a pivotal artist who forever changed orchestral horn playing.

Some have described the first horn role as “either bored to death or scared to death.” Nothing could be further from the truth for Dale who lived for the finest details: smooth, legato lines with a clear sense of forward direction, an infinite variety of articulations, and the most dramatic dynamic level for the moment. He took equal pride in accompanying colleagues in a breathtaking pianissimo as in riding on top of the full brass section in a massive Bruckner chorale.

CSO horns section in St. Petersburg, Russia April, 2012. Clevenger, Jim Smelser, David Griffin, Oto Carillo, Sue Gaunt, and Dan Gingrich (photo credit Will Berndt)

Like his music-making, which was always moving towards a higher level, Dale became his best person in his golden years as evidenced by a selfless devotion to his students and a genuine care for others. I will miss Dale’s unexpected phone call just to check in on me and catch up on the news.

Thank you Dale! Your glorious horn playing and passion for great music making will continue to inspire me forever.

OTHER PROPOSAL TYPES

Contributing Artist Lectures, Solo and/or Chamber Performances, Warm-up Session Presentations, plus Horn Ensemble Performing Groups at the Professional, University, and Pre-University levels

All proposals must be submitted by April 1, 2022 at the IHS54 Marketplace Store. *Presenters must be registered for the entire week of IHS54 before proposals are accepted and scheduled. Presenters for Youth Days must be registered for August 5-6. All presenters are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and food expenses.

SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

by Gary Kuo

(photo credit Aaron Weber)

Facebook’s 10-Year Challenge invites participants to compare and share portraits of themselves from a decade ago with those taken recently. While I don’t believe my physical appearance has changed much since 2012, one thing definitely has: the number of real world friends I’ve made who are horn players. When reflecting on the meaningful connections I’ve established since the launch of social media, I’m delighted and amazed at how many corno compadres I now have. I don’t even play the horn.

I’ve always had a curiosity for all things mechanical, including instruments. Having started violin in third grade, I understood how each member of the string family worked. It was the intricate key and valve design of the winds and brass, however, that would continue to fascinate me over the years. As a result, I would occasionally let my mind wander during youth orchestra and marvel at how brass players could produce so many notes with so few “buttons” and how horns worked so well in the disco versions of “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters.” There’s nobility in their sound I thought, gazing at their complex network of pipes that were both beautiful and a bit daunting.

During my undergraduate years at Juilliard, I spent a summer as concertmaster of the All-American College Orchestra at Walt Disney World, where I got to see just how versatile musicians in the other sections could be. It was enlightening to try and grasp the concepts of transposition and doubling and seeing my colleagues perform those skills with ease inspired me to learn more. Exposed to a wider range of genres, I began listening to music from an entirely different perspective. Instruments, both electronic and acoustic, became individual colors within a massive tapestry of sound, and there was so much more to discover: my existing love of blinking lights, knobs, and switches had evolved into a passion for creating new music. The following year, I completed my bachelor’s in performance and went on to pursue a master’s in composition for film and television.

After graduating from the two-year Media Writing and Production program at the University of Miami in Florida, I moved to Los Angeles, where I began composing for network TV and played violin as a freelancer, doing session work on occasion. Performing on soundtracks gave me the rare opportunity to see some of the industry’s greatest composers and recording artists in action. I often had the privilege of watching studio legend James Thatcher play and lead his section as they produced that amazing Hollywood sound we’ve come to know and love. It was also the first time I really took note of the steps required to remove water from a horn. If you ever write for that instrument, I told myself subconsciously, give the performer enough time at regular intervals to execute all those moves with care and precision.

And that sound. Hearing all those horns playing together? It was a sonic experience I would never forget.

The exclusive use of technology by composers, while convenient and frequently expected, sadly removes human interaction from the creative process. So, when Dr. Michael Harcrow, professor of horn at Messiah University and a good friend from graduate school, reached out in 2012 and asked me to write something for his students, I welcomed the opportunity. “What’s the instrumentation?” I asked. “Just horns,” he replied. Really? Is that a thing, I wondered? After doing a little research, I learned it was not only a thing, but also a very, very beautiful thing. Recalling my experience sitting near the horns on the scoring stage, I was eager to create a work that might incorporate some of the most gorgeous sounds I had heard over the years.

In the summer of 2013, Mike’s students premiered “Mountain Spires” for six-part horn choir at the 45th International Horn Symposium in Memphis, Tennessee. I was honored to have my music included in their program and excited that they won second place in the large ensemble competition. Little did I know that Mike’s invitation for me to contribute to this weeklong celebration of all things horn would profoundly change my life and open up a whole new world of possibilities and friendships.

The first two horn professors to reach out asking about my piece were Tulsa Symphony member Lanette Lopez Compton and Canadian Brass member Jeff Nelsen who teach at Oklahoma State University and Indiana University, respectively. Their interest and enthusiastic support were heartwarming and the thought that I might have something to offer educators was really exciting. I owe much of the direction I’ve received in life to my music teachers and I’m convinced that, without their guidance and wisdom, I’d have wandered off aimlessly like some buggy video game character. So, along with a performance and recording generously provided by Los Angeles-based hornist and engineer Preston Shepard, I released the music online. (You can hear Mr. Shepard’s performance here. MH)

Before long, I started connecting with professors and students across the United States as they heard about and began programming my five-minute piece in their studio recitals and concerts. It was a blast and so very satisfying. Most of what I compose, television underscore, is produced in complete isolation and often so quickly I forget what I did just a few hours ago. Writing concert music, by contrast, places me in a different frame of mind and provides far more time to savor the entire process. In addition, the feeling of knowing one’s work will be performed for an audience is akin to seeing your child return from a birthday party with a big smile and a fistful of colorful balloons.

The 47th International Horn Symposium was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles so Mike suggested I attend. Annie Bosler, who was co-host of the annual event and Jeff, who was then president of the International Horn Society, thought I should write something for Jeff to perform as soloist with concert band. By now, I had been invited to the Facebook Horn People group, where I was learning a lot more about this great instrument, as well as some of the technical challenges and musical preferences of its members, both amateur and professional. I knew there could be no offbeats in this new work. No, this composition was going to be one in which all horns on stage would be heard.

In August of 2015, Jeff gave the world premiere performance of “Wingspan” with the Colburn School Adult Wind Ensemble in the closing concert of IHS 47. It was a fantastic way to end the week. I had spent the previous few days listening to interviews, performances, and meeting many of the new friends I had made since the release of “Mountain Spires.” It was also fun to rub elbows with a few superstars, including Jeff. He and I had spoken about his new piece in the months before the convention, but being able to spend time with him in person, watch him work, and hear his thoughts about other artist-related topics, was extra special.

That academic year, the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble led by Dr. Paul Popiel accompanied Jeff in a second performance of “Wingspan” which I shared on YouTube. In the months following the release of the video, I felt as if a wish from my days as a teen was becoming a reality: I was finally getting a chance to work with the kids in band. Horn players, from high school students to seasoned professionals, along with their teachers and music directors, were discovering and performing my little piece, and with each concert came an opportunity for me to meet someone new, learn about another school or community group, and in the case of international artists, use Google Translate. In 2019, “Wingspan” went on tour throughout America with several military bands including the United States Army Field Band. I had heard soloist Sergeant Major Robert Cherry and his fellow horn players perform at IHS 47 and was honored he would choose to share my work with his audiences. How I wish that my parents, who immigrated to the US, had been alive to attend one of the band’s concerts. I can only imagine how proud and excited they would have been.

My artist friends, who increase in number each year, have greatly expanded my knowledge base, worldview, and further clarified what it means to be a musician. They’ve even helped realize the commissioning of new works for orchestra and band, along with a world premiere at Carnegie Hall. This year, in 2022, both of my compositions for horn head to Texas, where “Wingspan” will be performed by the East Texas Symphonic Band featuring soloist Dr. Andrea Denis while “Mountain Spires,” now on the University Interscholastic League’s prescribed music list for the Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest, will be presented by her students before the concert. I’m just thrilled.

Although I’ve always known how music can unify and foster relationships between people, I am deeply grateful to the community of horn players and the sense of camaraderie it projects. This fellowship continues to connect me to wonderful individuals all over the globe, and provides some very welcome solace during these trying times.

Gary Kuo is a six-time Emmy award-winning composer and violinist based in Los Angeles.

garykuo.com