WVU Horn Studio

The West Virginia University Horn Studio, led by horn professor Albert Houde, consists of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students who are encouraged to be creative, diversely talented and open minded in their ongoing pursuit of their musical dreams.

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Life in the WVU Horn Studio 

Each student receives a weekly lesson with Professor Houde, participates in horn studio class, and performs in the WVU Horn Ensemble. Performance majors and graduate students participate in a performance studio class focusing on orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire. Additionally, horn students perform in a variety of ensembles in the School of Music, including the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Chamber Winds, Graduate Woodwind Quintet and chamber music ensembles. 

Students in the WVU Horn Studio work closely with Professor Houde to prepare them for success in their field of study. WVU Horn students grow daily as musicians and people and strive to be leaders at the university, in the School and in their communities.  

WVU Horn Ensemble

All members of the horn studio play in the WVU Horn Ensemble, performing each semester on-campus and in the community. Periodically, the Horn Ensemble will perform full length themed recitals. In 2018 they performed a St. Hubert's Day Concert, focusing on the history of the horn, and in 2021 "Horn Around the World," focusing on music of cultures not traditionally represented in the Western music tradition. In 2019, the ensemble performed a recital at the International Horn Symposium in Ghent, Belgium and in 2021 the ensemble was featured numerous times at the Northeast Horn Workshop. Each December they go caroling at the Rosenbaum Family House in Morgantown, WV and perform a program of holiday works for the residents. 

Guest Artists

The Horn Studio regularly hosts some of the leading performers and pedagogues for masterclasses and performances. In the last couple of years we have hosted William Caballero, Principal Horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Freimuth, Principal Horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Eric Ralske, Principal Horn of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and hornists from each of the premiere military service bands. 

In 2021, the WVU Horn Studio hosted the Northeast Horn Workshop. This online event had over 600 registrants, 16 featured guest artists, 50 contributing artists, 14 recitals of over 100 works, 9 competitions, 8 masterclasses and featured presentations.