On the way to answering the pressing questions of our time (“Is the French horn really French?” “Why do they stick their hand in the bell?”) — this program brings the joy of the horn and it’s unique, rich sound to the young listener.

We start with the best — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Written for one of his dear horn-playing friends, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3 is the first concerto I ever learned, and this rollicking 3rd movement is filled with hunting calls and fun virtuosity. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Horn Sonata was the first great sonata written for “natural horn” (look Mom, no buttons!) and my friend Mike and I are going to perform it in a way we guarantee you have never seen before. (It may or may not involve a frisbee….)

The Antonio Rosetti Concerto for Two Horns is another fun showpiece, and then we’ll walk you through some great orchestral horn music and round off the program with Richard Bissell’s Time and Space. Hundreds of years after the horn was used like an outdoor megaphone, Bissell uses horn calls in an inspiring way, in a score that sounds like your favorite movie.

I was in fifth grade when the sound of the horn changed my life, and I’m looking forward to sharing that sound with you, too!

James Ferree ©2022