Professional horn players, teachers, enthusiasts, students of all ages and levels gathered on the campus of Western Illinois University for a day of horn performance and study on February 20, 2011. This 10th Annual Western Illinois Horn Festival featured three world renowned performers: David Griffin from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Prairie Winds Woodwind Quintet; Marian Hesse, hornist with the Grammy Award-winning Chestnut Brass and Professor of Horn at the University of Northern Colorado; and Jazz Horn Scholar and Horn Professor, Patrick Smith from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Events included:

• New Daily Routines for the Horn with Marian Hesse;
• An Introduction to Horn Playing in a Jazzy Style: Patrick Smith presented a method of using syllables for jazz articulation, and included a coaching session with Macomb High School hornists—as well as a participatory clinic for all hornists at the Festival.
• The Opening Recital featuring WIU Hornists and Guests;
• A Panel on Ensemble Playing featuring David Griffin, Marian Hesse, Patrick Smith; Highlights of this session included interesting comparisons of ensemble experiences of David Griffin—who plays in a professional Woodwind Quintet (the Prairie Winds), as well as with the Chicago Symphony, Marian Hesse’s experiences performing with the Grammy Award-winning Chestnut Brass, and Patrick Smith who serves as a Band Director at Virginia Commonwealth University—as well as Horn Professor.
• A Master Class by David Griffin—who coached horn students from Western Illinois, Minnesota State University-Mankato, and The University of Idaho on works by J.S. Bach, Lars-Erik Larsson, and Gordon Jacob.
• The Festival Horn Ensemble Rehearsal;
• The Festival Finale Concert featuring solo works performed by David Griffin, historic works performed on an historic Viennese horn by Marian Hesse, and Jazz horn selections by Patrick Smith, as well as performances by the Horn Festival Horn Choir, the Lee Kessinger Alphorn Ensemble and WIU Hornists.
• A special bonus for area hornists was a presentation during the WIU Jazz Festival on Saturday, February 19th by Dr. Patrick Smith about jazz horn pioneer Julius Watkins.

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Program Information

• 2011 WIUHF Program (PDF)
• 2011 WIUHF Poster (PDF)

Alphornists Lee Kessinger, Amber Dean, Thomas and Jöstlein

Roger Collins, Marian Hesse and Michael Ericson

WIU Hornists 2011, Horn Alumni and Guest Hornists

General Information

For more information about the Western Illinois Horn Festival contact Randall E. Faust at RE-Faust@wiu.edu, 216 A Browne Music Hall, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455. Phone: (309) 298-1300.