Lowell Greer (1950-2022)
Lowell Greer holds a unique place among the hornists of his generation. Known for his musicianship and versatility with or without valves, he has received critical acclaim and international recognition as an orchestral hornist, chamber musician, soloist, educator, and horn maker.
A Wisconsin native, Lowell began violin studies at age 4 and took up horn at age 12 due to a hand injury. His parents, both college professors, changed jobs several times, so Lowell had many horn teachers, the most notable being Ernani Angelucci of the Cleveland Orchestra. Lowell returned to Wisconsin to study with John Barrows at the University of Wisconsin and then pursued studies in Chicago with Helen Kotas, Frank Brouk, Dale Clevenger, and Ethel Merker. While in Chicago, he freelanced extensively, performing with the Chicago Civic Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, shows, recordings, and as extra horn with both the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphonies.
Lowell joined the Detroit Symphony in 1972 as assistant principal. In 1978, he accepted the position of principal horn of the Mexico City Philharmonic and began to pursue his solo career. In 1980, he moved to Europe to better pursue his natural horn interests, and performed in Belgium as guest principal horn of the Antwerp Philharmonic/Royal Flemish Orchestra. He returned to the US in 1984, where he served as principal horn of the Cincinnati Symphony until 1986. He also performed as principal of the Toledo Symphony from 1990-1997.
During this time, he won seven first prizes at six prestigious international horn competitions: Heldenleben (1977), Gian Battista Viotti, Vercelli (1978), Hubertus Jaachthoornfestival (1979), SACEM, Paris (1981), Jacques-Francois Gallay (1981), and American (1983, 1984).
As a soloist, Lowell has performed on natural and modern horn with some fifty orchestras in the US, Canada, Mexico, and all across Europe, not to mention his appearances at numerous chamber music venues. His extensive discography includes four CD’s on Harmonium Mundi, including the Mozart Horn Concertos and Quintet, Brahms Horn Trio, and the Beethoven Sonata on natural horn, and a recording for Decca L’oiseau Lyre of the entire music of Mozart for winds performed on original instruments.
A dedicated scholar and educator, Lowell has taught at Wheaton College, Oakland University, Interlochen Arts Academy, the School for Perfection in Mexico City, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan, and at the Carl Neilsen Academy in Odense, Denmark. An acclaimed expert on natural horn performance, his research has led him to become a maker of fine reproductions of classic instruments, and he has taught a course in natural horn building techniques at the William Cummings House since 1994.
Lowell was honored with the Punto Award at the 2008 International Horn Symposium in Denver, where he led his natural horn group, the Hunting Horns of General Washington. He was elected an IHS Honorary Member in 2014 at the symposium in London.
Israel Oliveira
Israel Oliveira is an influential horn player in Brazil. He has been first horn of the Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre (OSPA) since 2004.
Israel was a student of Ozéas Arantes at the Municipal School of Music in São Paulo. In 1991, he won the Young Soloists contest at the Universidade Livre de Música and soloed with the São Paulo Youth Symphonic Band.
He has been a member of the São Paulo Symphony, the São Paulo Symphonic Band, the Experimental de Repertório, the Santo André, Ribeirão Preto, Santos and USP Symphonics, the São Bernardo do Campo Philharmonic, and the USP Chamber Orchestra. He has participated in festivals in Poços de Caldas, Itu, Campos do Jordão, and Pelotas, and taught classes in Itanhaém, Belém do Pará, Montevideo, UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte).
Israel is an active chamber musician, performing with the Quinteto Metal Mania, Quinteto Porto Alegre, and the faculty wind quintet at the OSPA Conservatory. A passionate organizer of horn-related groups, Israel founded the Confrasulhorns (Confraria de Horn players of Rio Grande do Sul), which encourages and mentors young horn players throughout the state of Rio Grande do Sul. He is also the founder and general coordinator of LatinoAmericaHorns, a group of Latin American horn players united by their love of the horn.
Israel was honored with the Punto Award in 2021.
Christoph Eß
Christoph Eß has established himself as one of the leading horn players of his generation. He has been a prizewinner at several international music competitions and has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician all over the world. Christoph began his training at the Musikschule Tübingen with Peter Hoefs, with further study in Basel and Stuttgart with Christian Lampert and Wolfgang Wipfler. Prior to joining the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra as Principal Horn in 2007, he held positions as Third Horn with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Principal Horn with the Essen Philharmonic. From 2017-2020 he served as Professor of Horn at the Musikhochschule Lübeck.
Christoph has won top prizes at national and international competitions, including the European Classic Festival Ruhr, the Concorso Internazionale per Corno di Sannicandro di Bari, the International ARD Music Competition in Munich, and the Richard Strauss Competition. In 2007 he was awarded first prize at the prestigious Prague Spring International Music Competition. In 2008, he won the Soloist Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, followed by a scholarship award at the German Music Competition in Berlin in 2009.
As a soloist he has performed with many of Europe’s leading orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Bamberg Symphony, the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Prague Philharmonia, and the chamber orchestras of Munich, Stuttgart, and Salzburg. In April 2007, he gave his debut at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall with the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin. During the 2017-2018 season he was Artist in Residence with the Philharmonie Neubrandenburg and performed and recorded all the Mozart concertos with the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra in Essen. Further highlights include concerts with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalzm, and the Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal. He has recorded frequently for the GENUINclassics and PragaDigitals labels, as well as Bavarian Radio, Radio DRS, Deutschlandradio Kultur, and Czech Radio.
In high demand as a chamber musician, Christoph has collaborated with Christian Zacharias, Andreas Scholl, the Fauré Quartett, the Zemlinsky Quartett, Quatour Ebène, Boris Kusnezow, and Viviane Hagner. He is the founder of the renowned horn quartet German Hornsound, with whom he is a regular guest artist at Europe’s most prestigious music festivals.
Christoph was honored with the Punto Award in 2021.
Dale Clevenger (1940-2022)
Dale Clevenger was principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 2013, a soloist with orchestras worldwide, a participant in festivals and symposiums, and a conductor. He received an honorary doctor of music degree from Elmhurst College in 1985 and taught at Roosevelt University and Indiana University.
Dale was a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh. His mentors were Arnold Jacobs and Adolph Herseth. Before joining the Chicago Symphony, Clevenger was a member of the American Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony of the Air, and principal horn with the Kansas City Philharmonic. While in New York City, he recorded commercial jingles.
Dale performed with ensembles worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic with Daniel Barenboim. Summer festivals include the Santa Fe chamber Music Festival, Sarasota (FL) Music Festival, Marrowstone Music Festival (Port Townsend WA), and Affinis Music Festival (Japan),
His recordings include antiphonal music with the brass sections of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland, Mozart Horn Concertos, Joseph and Michael Haydn Concertos, Schumann Konzertstück, Britten Serenade, and Strauss Concerto No.1. He premiered John Williams's Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in 1993.
His conducting career includes guest appearances with the New Japan Philharmonic, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Symphony, the Civic Orchestra Chicago, the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra (Perth), the Aguascaliente Symphony Orchestra (Mexico), and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra.
Dale published a series of method books, The Dale Clevenger French Horn Methods, with the Neil A Kios Music Company.
Dale served on the IHS Advisory Council (1974–1981), received the Punto Award in 2009, and was elected an Honorary Member at the 2010 IHS Symposium in Brisbane, Australia.
Vicente Zarzo (1938-2021)
Vincente Zarzo Pitarch was a Spanish horn player who performed and taught in many parts of the world, but especially in Spain, Mexico, and the Netherlands, and wrote horn etudes and books on the history of the horn.
Zarzo was born in 1938 in Benaguacil, Valencia and studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquin Rodrigo in Valencia and later with Hans Noeth in Munich, Germany.
Zarzo had positions as solo horn with the Valencia Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica del Gran Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the American Wind Symphony of Pittsburg, the National Orchestra of Mexico, and for 25 years with the Residentie Orkest of The Hague, Netherlands. As a soloist, he performed with the Orquesta Municipal de Valencia, Orquesta de Valladolid, Orquesta de Oviedo, Orquesta de Tenerife, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Port (Portugal), Philharmonic Orchestra of Groningen (Netherlands), Orquesta Nacional de México, National Orchstra of Reykjavik (Iceland), and others.
Zarzo was professor of horn and natural horn at the University of Mexico, the Conservatory of Amsterdam, the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and at the Conservatoire de Musique in Montreux, Switzerland. He was a guest professor at Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de Valencia, Conservatorio Superior del Liceo in Barcelona, and the Conservatory of Music and Dance of the Balearic Islands (Palma, Mallorca). He recorded the Brahms Horn Trio, the Hindemith concertos, works of Amando Blanquer, and the Mozart Quintet K452 with Radu Lupu (nominated for the Grand Prix du Disc).
Composers who have written works especially for Zarzo include Wim Laman (Quaterni II), Jan Van Vlijmen (Confronti horn concerto), Hans Henkemans (Concert), Paul de Ro, Eduardo Mata (Sinfónica No. 3), and Amando Blanquer (Sonata and Concierto para 4 trompas y orquesta).
Zarzo was honored with the Punto award at the 2004 International Horn Symposium in Valencia, Spain. In the same year, the Valencia Academy of Music appointed him as “Insigne de la Musica of Valencia.” A street in central Granada, Andalusia, Spain is named for him: Calle Músico Vicente Zarzo. He wrote an article about his collection of horns for the February 1995 issue of The Horn Call. He was elected an IHS Honorary Member in 2020.
Anneke Scott
Anneke Scott is a leading exponent of historical horn playing and an influential performer, teacher, and researcher. Her work takes her across the globe and throughout the centuries of music with a repertoire incorporating music and instruments from the late seventeenth century through to the present day. She teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the University of Birmingham, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and the online music lesson platform Play with a Pro. Her research influences her teaching, and she has published a natural horn method based on her research sources.
Anneke is principal horn of period instrument ensembles including Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, The English Baroque Soloists, ensemble Pygmalion, The Orchestra of the Sixteen, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and the Dunedin Consort and Players. She also appears as a guest principal horn with orchestras and ensembles worldwide.
Anneke has an international solo career, and her discography embraces three centuries of virtuosic horn works. She is frequently heard performing the famous baroque obbligato arias of composers such as Bach and Handel as well as solo concertos from that period. Her solo recordings also include three discs focusing on the music of Jacques François Gallay.
Anneke enjoys collaborating with a wide group of musicians and is a key member of a number of chamber music ensembles including nineteenth century period brass ensemble The Prince Regent’s Band, the harmoniemusik ensemble Boxwood & Brass, historic wind ensemble Syrinx, and ensembleF2. She regularly works with leading period keyboardists including Steven Devine, Neal Peres da Costa, Geoffrey Govier, and Kathryn Cok and period harpist Frances Kelly.
Claude Maury
Claude Maury is one of the leading Belgian hornists, specializing in natural horn, and is professor of natural horn at the Conservatoire in Paris and Versailles.
Claude was born in Belgium in 1956 and studied modern horn and chamber music at the Conservatoire Royal in Mons, Wallonia, Belgium. Further studies with Francis Orval, André Vandriessche, Michel Garcin-Marrou, and Hermann Baumann led to his first job with the orchestra of the Opera Royal de Wallonie in 1974, then in 1976 as a mem ber of the French Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra. After winning prizes at the Gallay competition for natural horn in 1981 and the natural horn competition in Bad Harzburg, Germany in 1984, he left the orchestra for a career freelancing on period instruments.
Claude plays on a regular basis on period instruments with the ensembles La Petite Bande, the Orchestra of the 18th Century, the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Anima Eterna, Les Arts Florissants, Opera Fuoco, and le Parlement de Musique. He also plays occasionally with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestrata, Concerto Köln, Tafelmusik, The English Concert, Bach Collegium Japan, and others. He has recorded many solo and chamber music CD’s, mainly on natural horn.
Jeroen Billiet
Jeroen Billiet is passionate about horn playing, especially natural horn playing and the history of Belgian horn playing. He is currently solo horn with le Concert d’Astrée and les Talens Lyriques and a faculty member at Artesis-Plantijn Hogeschool-Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp and the Royal Conservatory School of Arts Ghent. He is also the IHS Area Representative for Belgium and was host of the 2019 IHS Symposium at the Royal Conservatory School of Arts Ghent.
Jeroen Billiet is passionate about horn playing, especially natural horn playing and the history of Belgian horn playing. He is currently solo horn with le Concert d’Astrée and les Talens Lyriques and a faculty member at Artesis-Plantijn Hogeschool-Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp and the Royal Conservatory School of Arts Ghent. He is also the IHS Area Representative for Belgium and was host of the 2019 IHS Symposium at the Royal Conservatory School of Arts Ghent.
Jeroen has special interest in historical performance practice. He was awarded the title Laureate of the Orpheus Institute with his dissertation “200 Years of the Belgian Horn School, a comprehensive study of the horn in Belgium, 1889-1960.” His doctoral research, “Brave Belgians of the Belle Époque,” focuses on the artistic aspects of the horn horn-playing tradition emerging from the Ghent Conservatory during that period.
Jeroen was born in Tielt, Belgium in 1977. He studied horn at the conservatories in Ghent and Brussels with Luc Bergé. He earned master’s degrees in both performance and education from the Brussels Conservatory in 2001 and entered post-graduate study at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent.
Jeroen has performed and toured with l’Orchestre des Champs Elysées, Concerto Köln, Anima Eterna Brugge, and Il Giardino Armonico. He was principal horn of les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble and of Insula Orchestra. He regularly performs with B’Rock Gent and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. He is a founding member of the Mengal Ensemble, which has released two CDs. He taught at music schools in Bruges and Tielt before taking up his current positions.
