Guest Artists and Clinicians

(Photo courtesy of
Indiana University)

Michael Hatfield is Professor of Music and Chair of the Brass Department at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. He earned the first Performer's Certificate in Horn ever granted by Indiana University, under the tutelage of Verne Reynolds. During that time, Mr. Hatfield also studied at the Aspen Music Festival each summer with Christopher Leuba and Philip Farkas.

Upon graduation, he joined the Indianapolis Symphony. In 1961, he was appointed principal horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a position he would hold for the next 23 years. While in Cincinnati, Mr. Hatfield also served as Adjunct Professor and Chair of the Brass, Woodwind and Percussion Division at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. He also was a member of the Cincinnati Woodwind Quintet with other Principal players from the Cincinnati Symphony. Summers led him to return to Aspen, where he played second horn to Philip Farkas in the Aspen Festival Orchestra from 1960-68. In 1972, he became Co-Principal of that orchestra and joined the faculty of the Festival, positions he would hold until 1989.

Mr. Hatfield has since held summer positions as Principal horn of the Santa Fe Opera, as a faculty member of the Grand Teton Festival Institute and Orchestra, as well as the Kendall Betts Horn Camp. He joined the faculty at Indiana University in 1984, replacing his mentor, the legendary Philip Farkas, upon his retirement.

Michael Hatfield was a soloist at the International Horn Society Workshops in 1983 and 1985, and was a member of the Advisory Council.

Susan LaFever has been a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician in concerts throughout the United States, Western Europe, Mexico, and Japan. Called "bold and striking" with a "confident lyric quality" by the New York Times, she has partnered with some of the world's finest musicians. In her recently released CD, she is heard with nationally prominent collaborative artist Ron Levy. In New York City, Ms. LaFever has played at Weill (Carnegie) Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Town Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. Internationally she has appeared at Royal Albert Hall in London, and at the International Forum's Hall A in Tokyo--one of the largest in the world, with a seating capacity of over 5,000. She has also performed on Mexican national television.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska and Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with David Jolley, Ms. LaFever is Principal horn of the Candlewood Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra. She has played on Broadway in the Lion King, The Sound of Music, and Cats, and has also performed with the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Ms. LaFever has presented masterclasses nationally, and currently teaches at the Ridgewood and Amadeus conservatories.

James Decker was Professor of Horn at the University of Southern California for 35 years. He also taught horn at the California Institute of the Arts, CSU-Los Angeles, CSU-Long Beach, University of California-Santa Barbara, and was the horn instructor at the Music Academy of the West for more than 25 years. He was the horn teacher and chamber music instructor at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival for 4 years and recently served on the faculty at the Kendall Betts Horn Camp. He was a member of  the board for the National Association of the Recording Arts and Sciences for talent scholarships and grants in classical music.

James Decker was Principal horn of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for over 20 years. His other performing experience includes Principal horn of Kansas City, Assistant Principal horn of the National Symphony, guest Principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal horn of the Columbia Orchestra (including the CBS recordings with Bruno Walter and Igor Stravinsky), and Principal horn for over 2,000 major motion pictures and television series.

He was a founding member of the Los Angeles Horn Club, which commissioned over 100 new works for various horn ensembles, and was one of the founders of the International Horn Society, serving as host for two Workshops. He created the IVASI practice system, aiding young players in orchestral audition preparation with virtual conductors and entire horn parts. Finally, Jim has been involved with the testing of various horn metals, designs, and bell flares and has been a supporter and financial backer of Mark Veneklasen's revolutionary research into horn design and manufacture.

During his career, Mr. Durnin has worked for most of the top composers and arrangers in “"The Industry,"” including John Williams, Henry Mancini, Allen Silvestry, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Lalo Shifrin, and many more.

Films that Steve has recorded for include JFK, Hook, Father of the Bride, The Incredibles, Far and Away, The Seige, Aliens, Species, Beethoven, Collateral Damage, Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Panther, and My Favorite Martian, just to name a few. His television credits include Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Brisco County Jr, Colombo, Dinosaurs, and Alias.

Steve Durnin has always been an active live performer. Included in the list of groups he performs with are: The Long Beach Symphony, The Pacific Symphony, The Pasadena Symphony, The Santa Barbara Symphony, The New West Symphony, The Long Beach Opera, The Riverside County Philharmonic, The Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, The Pasadena Pops Orchestra, The San Luis Obispo Symphony, and The Capistrano Valley Symphony. Currently he is Principal horn of the Oregon Coast Music Festival.

Steve was a finalist in The American Horn Competition in 1993, has been featured as an artist at the International Horn Society on three occasions, and is often sought as a recitalist/clinician at other workshops.

Wendell Rider was Principal Horn with the San Jose Symphony from 1970 until its demise in 2002. He has also been Principal Horn with the Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra, the Bear Valley Music Festival, the Monterey County Symphony and the Monterey Bay Symphony.

He attended the Eastman School of Music and studied with Verne Reynolds. Other teachers include Charles Bubb Jr., Ralph Hotz, and Philip Farkas and Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony. Mr. Rider currently teaches horn at San Francisco State University, Santa Clara University, and has also taught at UC Santa Cruz. He is also a founding member of the popular brass and percussion group “Brass Plus” (featuring members of the Symphony Silicon Valley), the Woodwind Quintet “RedWoodWinds,” and is heard frequently around the San Francisco Bay Area as a recitalist and soloist.

Mr. Rider has soloed with the San Jose Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Monterey Bay Symphony, and Midsummer Mozart. He started teaching horn at age 15 when he was principal with the California Youth Symphony. He has many students playing professionally, some as principals, in orchestras all over the world. He has heard and judged literally thousands of auditions for San Jose Symphony and other organizations. He has coached students and professionals on different instruments for student and professional auditions. Recently, Mr. Rider became one of the first teachers to begin giving regular lessons over the internet using video conferencing.

Mr. Rider’s book, “Real World Horn Playing”, now in its second printing, is being sold around the world from his website.

Mark Atkinson continues the horn repair and customizing business started by his father in 1964. Atkinson Brass is a family business dedicated to the repair and manufacturing of French Horns for professionals, amateurs and students alike, for over 36 years. Over time the business has added increased knowledge and machinery to give players countless opportunities to enhance their playing skills by vastly improving horns.

Mark will present a lecture on "Manufacturing and Acoustical Responses," an informative and easy to grasp narrative on the art of horn making and its impact on sound.

Julie Callahan earned her Bachelor of Music degree in horn performance from The Pennsylvania State University. She was also a winner of their Young Artists Competition, and thereby made her solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Upon graduation, she taught in Wisconsin at two music conservatories and performed in the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, the La Crosse (WI) Symphony, and the Wausau (WI) Chamber Orchestra. She also soloed on the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Horns in F with the Wausau Chamber Orchestra.

Julie moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1989, taking a 5-year hiatus from horn playing to pursue a full-time career in the computer industry as a technical writer. She returned to the horn in 1994. Ms. Callahan was awarded a graduate scholarship at the University of California--Santa Barbara, and completed her Master of Music degree in horn performance in June of 2004. Julie is Principal horn with the Topanga Symphony and Ventura College Community Orchestra, hornist with the Malibu Brass Quintet, and tenor (E-flat alto) hornist with the Ventura British Brass. She also freelances throughout southern California.

Dr. Steven Gross is Director of the Wind, Brass & Percussion Program at UCSB. He is a former member of the Atlanta Symphony, National Symphony, and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. His international solo appearances include those with the Orchester der Stadt Voecklabruck in Austria, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Moscow Conservatory, L'Abri International Arts Festival in Switzerland, and the Nairobi Symphony in Kenya. His Carnegie Hall debut was described by the New York Concert Review as "offering some of the cleanest articulation and purest musicality…a listenable, bravura display of instrumental technique."”

Steve's recent release of the Strauss Horn Concertos on the Summit label (DCD441) was described by the American Record Guide as "outstanding, striking the right balance between thoughtfulness and verve, planning and spontaneity...an excellent tone and the ability and temperament to play heroically."

Future solo releases include the Britten Serenade with the Camerata Indianapolis, and a Baroque CD with the Capella Istropolitana of Slovakia. His discography includes recordings on the Telarc, Hyperion, Koch, ProArte, CRI and ACA Digital labels.

Dr. Gross is Principal horn of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Opera Santa Barbara, and the Santa Maria Philharmonic. During summers he is a member of the Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra, and the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague. In fall 1996 he served in the place of Professor Myron Bloom at Indiana University.