Thank you for visiting our horn studio site!

As you will see, CCM offers a very comprehensive course of study for all horn students from freshman through doctoral levels. Our studio consists of twenty to twenty-five students from the United States and abroad with approximately equal distribution of undergraduate and graduate students. [Studio Personnel.]

Students are thoroughly prepared to meet their professional goals, whether those goals are in performance or the academic world. We foster an attitude where intensely focused and purposeful study, structured to realize each student's musical potential, is conducted in a cooperative and friendly environment of very highly talented aspiring professionals. We believe in a "win-win" environment in which students help each other to succeed. [Audition Requirements.]

During the past few years, current and recent CCM horn students won auditions for the orchestras of Indianapolis, Buffalo, Edmonton, Honolulu, Louisville, Toledo, Dayton, Taipei, Mexico City, and other national and international locations; the Washington DC Air Force, Navy, and Marine Bands; Verbier Festival Orchestra, national musical theater touring companies, awards and honors at International Horn Society and International Women's Brass Conference workshops, and advancement to the final round of the American division for the Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year competition. CCM horn students are engaged periodically as extras with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and numerous CCM horn students also perform regularly with regional orchestras in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

First and foremost, every CCM horn major has the opportunity to learn from a principal horn teacher, with years of significant professional experience, on a one-on-one basis. Each student receives an individualized and well-structured program of fundamental exercises, etudes, solos, and orchestral repertoire. Our horn professors are on campus, readily accessible to help meet their students' needs. [Gardner biography.] [Dugger biography.]

Besides weekly lessons, all horn students are involved in a studio class that meets each week for two hours. These hours are an invaluable supplement to private horn instruction. Studio classes offer individual and section performance opportunities, focus a great deal of attention on successful audition and performance preparation, hold mock auditions, host special high-caliber guest artist presentations, and have class discussions covering a broad spectrum of topics and readings that deepen every student's musical understanding and professional preparation.

Many horn students enjoy participating in CCM's Esprit de Cor horn choir, an excellent elective ensemble that meets for two hours each week. Attention is given to details of successful ensemble performance that can be used throughout one's career -- intonation, balance, styles of articulation, note length, performing as a cohesive unit, etc. Our horn choir was honored to perform at the 2004, 2001, 1999, and 1997 International Horn Society Workshops, the 1999 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and at regional horn workshops. Our repertoire includes original works for horn ensembles and transcriptions of works from all periods. We strive to perform at a high level, while having a great deal of fun along the way. [Horn Choir.]

Alternating by quarter with horn choir, horn excerpt class is an academic and performance course that studies in-depth a wide spectrum of repertoire. The historical setting of each composition, orchestral context of each excerpt, musical goals of assigned passages along with technical approaches to achieving those goals, and interpretive variations are studied. A small body of important repertoire is memorized, and recorded auditions are prepared. Students perform in every class session. Most importantly, a method of study and audition preparation is cultivated. [Excerpt Class.]

In 1998, CCM purchased two Seraphinoff orchestra horns (replicas of Hilary), adding a whole other dimension to our horn education. Student performers use these horns in recital, and they are available to every horn student who studies music of the natural horn period. In addition to many benefits that come from studying hand horn technique, learning what Mozart or Beethoven had in their ears when they composed for the horn greatly enhances valve horn performances of that repertoire. Since acquiring these natural horns, CCM has hosted several recognized hand horn performers for recitals/masterclasses.

Last, but certainly not least, CCM'S unrivaled multi-million dollar facilities are located in the culturally rich city of Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops offer several concerts each week at specially discounted student ticket prices. The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Ballet, Opera, and various musical theater companies all present performances. Several fine chamber ensembles have series of concerts in the city, and CCM hosts its own outstanding array of performances. Theater companies abound, Cincinnati boasts of our very fine art museum, and CCM thrives within the fertile intellectual environment of a major research university. [Links.]

We hope that this gives you a detailed understanding of what horn study at CCM has to offer. We believe that this is a fantastic place for any horn student to prepare for a career in music. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to send email to [Professor Gardner] or call him at 513-556-9553.