Kyle Hayes is a versatile performer and educator whose work bridges the traditions of classical French horn and Highland bagpipes. Currently, he is based in Mexico City where he teaches English as a foreign language.
He graduated from the University of Memphis where he studied with Dan Phillips before completing his graduate studies at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, studying under David Johnson. After returning to the United States, he was a freelance musician in Nashville, Tennessee, where he performed with several area orchestras, chamber ensembles, and musical theatre productions. Additionally, his horn playing can be heard on film, television, and video game soundtracks.
While in Nashville, Kyle taught privately in the metro Nashville area with students consistently placing in top chairs in regional and all-state honor bands and orchestras. He was also the horn specialist for Music Makes Us, an initiative of Metro Nashville Public Schools and the greater community, aiming to provide equitable access to high-quality music education for K-12 school students.
In 2019, he relocated to Mexico City after being hired as an English teacher but has maintained his musical career. Along with teaching English, Kyle has continued teaching horn online and plays bagpipes with Saint Patrick’s Battalion Bagpipe Band.
Kyle serves as the editor of The Horn Zone for the International Horn Society, items of interest by and for young horn players.
He is also in the process of developing The Virtual Horn Studio to provide free video resources for music educators and horn students without access to private lessons.
