Features

The featured artists at the 2004 Southeast Horn Workshop include Russian jazz hornist Arkady Shilkloper, the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet, and the United States Army Brass Quintet. In addition to their work as ensemble players, TransAtlantic members David Ohanian, Michael Thompson, Skip Snead, and Richard Watkins, and US Army Brass Quintet hornist Rick Lee will perform as soloists and clinicians.

Other featured events will include T’ai Chi for Horn Players by Rebecca Dodson-Webster and FSU Brass Showcase Presents: Playing with Fire, featuring the horn studios of FSU professors Michelle Stebleton and William Capps. Also appearing for lectures will be former FSU horn professor William C. Robinson. Honoring Dr. Capps’s retirement, a banquet will be held in his honor and Dr. Capps will conduct the Capps Legacy Horn Choir.

Featured Artists

Arkady Shilkloper

Born in Moscow, Russia, Arkady began to study playing alto horn at age six and switched to French horn in 1967—at age eleven—when he entered the Moscow Military Music School, where he stayed until 1974. One of the most unusual Russian musicians, Arkady plays French horn, flugelhorn, alphorn and many more unusual wind instruments. From 1978 to 1985 he was a member of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre. As a member of this world-famous orchestra and of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985 to 1989, he undertook numerous worldwide concert tours.

Alongside that, he started playing traditional jazz with double-bass player Mikhail Karetnikov and avant-garde jazz in the Three-O project with saxophonist Sergei Letov and tuba player Arkady Kirichenko (1985–1990).

Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Shilkloper has worked independently both as a solo performer and, since 1988, in a duo with piano player Misha Alperin (since 1991, with Alperin and Starostin in the Moscow Art Trio) and in other formations.

He has played with Lionel Hampton, Elvin Jones, Lew Soloff and Herb Ellis. He also has worked with Pierre Favre, Louis Sclavis, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Jon Christensen, and Bob Stewart.

Since 1997, he also plays in two Russian trios: one with St. Petersburg’s best jazzmen—acoustic bassist Vladimir Volkov and piano player Andrei Kondakov—and the other with Volkov and Sergei Starostin.

Arkady also participates in international projects like Pago Libre and Christian Muthspiel’s Octet Ost and records as a guest musician with bands like the Vienna Art Orchestra; since January 1998, Arkady has performed and recorded extensively with this unique formation based in Vienna, Austria.

Shilkloper is in demand as a soloist and a teacher for brass instrument workshops and horn symposia the world over.

The TransAtlantic Horn Quartet

Following acclaimed debut concerts at London’s Royal Academy of Music in 1998, the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet has developed a reputation as one of the premiere horn ensembles in the world. With internationally recognized artists Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins of Great Britain, and David Ohanian and Skip Snead of the United States, the group features a unique blend of talents and styles that makes it truly greater than the sum of its parts. It has appeared with orchestras, in recital, at various music festivals, in music schools, and in its own workshops.

David Ohanian

David Ohanian has been one of the most well known horn players in the world for many years. After a tenure with the Boston Symphony Orchestra of over ten years, David resigned form that ensemble in 1981 in order to concentrate on a full time chamber music career as a founding member of the Empire Brass Quintet. In 1986, David left the Empire Brass Quintet and became the horn player with the Canadian Brass. He remained in this position until his retirement from that group in 1998.

David has recorded over thirty albums with the Empire and Canadian Brass Quintets, in addition to playing live performances in virtually every major music venue on every continent in the world. He has worked directly with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Georg Solti, Erich Leinsdorf, Claudio Abado, and Michael Tilson Thomas.

He has recorded instructional audio and video releases and published critical editions of Mozart, Strauss, and other noted horn works.

David is currently on Faculty at The Boston Conservatory of Music. He joined the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet in the Spring of 1999.

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading horn soloists. He first came to prominence when he was selected by Ricardo Muti to be principal horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra at the age of twenty-one. He held the post for ten years before leaving to concentrate on his solo and chamber music career.

Michael works throughout the world at the highest level. He has made major appearances on every continent, performing with many of the world’s major ensembles. He is noted for his acclaimed performances of the standard horn repertoire in addition to newer works by contemporary composers and his work on the traditional natural horn. He is one of the most widely recorded horn players in history with works on the Decca, EMI, Chandos, Hyperion, and Nimbus labels.

He has had many new works composed for him and has a long list of premieres given over the last decade.

Michael holds the Aubrey Brain Chair as professor of horn at The Royal Academy of Music of which he is also a fellow. He is a founding member of the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet.

Skip Snead

Skip Snead has developed an international reputation that was based initially on his activity as a teacher but in recent years has become equally associated with his performing. Through numerous performances and lectures in a wide variety of venues including workshops, the International Horn Society Summer Symposiums, university campuses, and guest appearances with orchestras, Skip has appeared widely throughout the United States. In the summer of 1998 he was the featured performer and teacher at a national horn festival hosted by the Gheorghe Dima Academy in Romania.

In addition to a busy teaching career, he maintains a very active schedule as a soloist and chamber musician. He has been a featured artist with many groups and recently was a guest soloist with State Orchestra of Transylvania in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Skip has recordings available with the “Classic Brass” and a solo release on the Centaur label.

Skip is on the faculty at The University of Alabama School of Music and serves on the Board of Advisors for the American Horn Competition. He is a founding member of the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet.

Richard Watkins

Richard Watkins has rapidly become one of the most sought after horn players of his generation and is internationally known as a soloist and chamber musician. He served as principal horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985 to 1996 when he resigned the position to devote more time to his solo and chamber music career.

Richard has made major appearances at Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, and all over the world with conductors including Carlo Maria Giulini, Wolfgang Swallisch, Leonard Slatkin, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Andrew Davis.

He is widely recorded. Some very popular recent recordings include, the two Malcolm Arnold Concertos, the Gliere Concerto, the Mozart Concertos and the Sinfonia Concertante. His work can be heard on a variety of labels including Deutsche Grammophon and Chandos.

Richard has had a number of original works composed for him by many composers, among them, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Richard holds the Dennis Brain Chair and is a professor of horn at The Royal Academy of Music where he was made a fellow in 1992. He is a founding member of the TransAtlantic Horn Quartet.

The United States Army Brass Quintet

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet was formed in 1972 and is comprised of members of both the Ceremonial and Concert Bands. Their professional approach to performing music composed and transcribed for brass quintet has made them one of the premier brass quintets in the world. They have participated in concerts and clinics at international brass symposia and conventions, national music educators conventions, and concerts in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Quintet has performed on local and national television and the nationally syndicated Larry King late-night radio show.

The group currently includes Sgt. Major Woodrow English and Sgt. Major Dennis Edelbrock, trumpets; Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Lovinsky, horn; Sgt. Major Scott Shelsta, trombone; and Sgt. Major Jack Tilbury, tuba.

Special Features

T’ai Chi for Horn Players: An Introduction
By Rebecca Dodson-Webster

This session will introduce participants to the fundamentals of T’ai Chi and QiGong, and their benefits to horn players.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan is a slow-motion, moving, meditative exercise for relaxation, health, and self-defense. Originally from China, T’ai Chi has gained enourmous popularity in America and throughout the rest of the world. For horn players, it offers the specific additional benefits of strength, balance, and physical and mental endurance.

Participants will learn some basic postures and movements, and should wear loose, comfortable clothing.

FSU Brass Showcase Presents: Playing with Fire
Produced by Lindsey Barnhill

Saturday's featured concert will be a synthesis of music, motion, and light by the FSU Brass Showcase, joined by the workshop’s featured artists and a 40-piece horn choir. A concert of non-stop music, this will be a spectacular event.

Available tickets for this concert cannot be guaranteed after 6 February 2004. After that time, ticket requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

William C. Robinson

William C. Robinson earned his Bachelor and Master degrees in instrumental music education at the University of Oklahoma. He served 38 months in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a high school band director for 14 years in Norman, Oklahoma and for 7 years in El Paso, Texas. During tht time he taught horn at Oklahoma University and the University of Texas at El Paso. He taught horn at The Florida State University from 1966 until 1971, followed by 15 years at Baylor University, where he taught horn and served as chairman of the instrumental music department, retiring in 1986. He has 29 years of professional orchestral experience. While at The Florida State University he founded the International Horn Workshop in 1969 and the International Horn Society in 1970. He was elected an honorary member of the International Horn Society in 1978, an honor shared by 22 other living persons (including 10 from the United States) and by 25 deceased persons. He was elected to the Oklahoma Band Directors Hall of Fame in 1988 and received the Edwin Franko Goldman Award from the American School Band Directors Association in 1995. He is the only charter member from Oklahoma in that organization. In October 1999 he was honored at Baylor University as the founder of the Chamber Music Society in Waco. He studied horn with George Yaeger, Philip Farkas, Dale Clevenger, and Arnold Jacobs. He has written two method books, which were edited by Philip Farkas, and co-authored a book on developing the school band program. He has published numerous professional articles, and has been a guest lecturer at several International Horn Workshops in this country and abroad. He is presently very active in private teaching, working with horn students of all ages from schools in Orlando and surrounding areas.

Honoring William Capps

Banquet honoring William Capps

Honoring his 33 years of service to the southeast region, the Southeast Horn Workshop is giving a banquet in honor of William Capps, professor of horn at FSU. All workshop participants are invited to this celebrity-style roast with Paul Basler, master of ceremonies.

The menu will include:

Antipasto Platter
Traditional Caesar Salad
Baked Penne Pasta
Boneless Chicken Breast Cacciatore
Fresh Zucchini Toss
Sliced Italian Bread and Butter
Tiramisu
Water, coffee, and iced tea
A cash bar will also be available

Available banquet tickets cannot be guaranteed after 6 February 2004. After that time, ticket requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Capps Legacy Horn Choir

Professor Capps will conduct a legacy horn choir during the banquet. All players who have studied with William Capps or one of his students are invited to perform in this landmark ensemble.

William Capps

William Capps currently serves as Professor of Horn and director of the Horn Choir at Florida State University. He earned the performer’s certificate and the baccalaureate degree from The Curtis Institute of Music. He was the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship for study in Berlin and later earned the MM and DMA degrees from The Catholic University of America. Prior to joining the faculty of Florida State University in 1971, Professor Capps played principal horn with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Spoleto, Italy, the Philadelphia Little Symphony, the Berlin Radio Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the US Marine Corps Orchestra and Band in Washington, DC. He has appeared as a soloist and as a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra horn section for the Robin Hood Dell concerts. Since 1971, Dr. Capps has performed frequently with many professional orchestras throughout the southeast, including the Savannah Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, and many major festival orchestras. In 1993 Dr. Capps hosted the 25th International Horn Society workshop at the Florida State University, founding site of the International Horn Society. Professor Capps teaches master horn courses frequently at the major conservatories and school of music in Europe and America. He is well known as an adjudicator for International competitions, an outstanding performer, and the teacher of many professional horn players throughout the world.

About the host

Michelle Stebleton

Michelle Stebleton, Associate Professor of Horn at Florida State University, is an active soloist, chamber artist, clinician, and competitor. She has toured the United States, Europe, and Asia with the Florida State Brass Quintet, the Florida State University Singers, and with MirrorImage, a duo formed with Lisa Bontrager. She also performs as principal horn of the Tallahassee Symphony and, before joining the FSU faculty in 1990, was principal horn of the Midland-Odessa (Texas) Symphony and the Lone Star Brass Quintet. In 1999, she tied for second place in the professional divison of the American Horn Competition, her seventh award from the international competition.

Active with workshops and festivals around the world, Ms. Stebleton has twice served as clinician for the Interpretation Horn Courses in the Czech Republic. She served as clinician at the First International Swiss Horn Workshop, and as clinician and co-host of the 1993 International Horn Society workshop. Ms. Stebleton is a charter member of the Festival Orchestra of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) unter the baton of Philippe Entremont.

Ms. Stebleton studied with Louis J. Stout and Lowell Greer at the University of Michigan where she received two degrees in horn performance. She also holds a diploma from the Prague Mozart Academy in the Czech Republic as one of only three hornists worldwide chosen for that semester of study.

Michelle Stebleton is a Holton-Leblanc artist/clinician.

2004 Southeast Horn Workshop