Category: Horn

Andrew Bain

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Australian Hometown: Adelaide
Education: Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide; University of Music Karlsruhe, Germany

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Andrew Bain was appointed to the Chair of Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Gustavo Dudamel in May 2011.

Born and raised in Australia, Andrew was first introduced to music at age 8 when he took up the piano. Four years later, he was enrolled at Brighton High School in their special music program and soon after switched to the French horn because he loved the sound. Andrew ultimately received a Bachelor in Music from the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide studying with Patrick Brislan. He furthered his studies with Geoff Collinson in Sydney, Hector McDonald in Vienna, and in 2003 completed a Graduate Diploma in Chamber Music under Will Sanders in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Prior to moving to LA Andrew held positions of Principal Horn of the Melbourne Symphony, Queensland Symphony, Münchner Symphoniker and the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra, and Associate Principal Horn of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. From 2003-2012 he was the Principal Horn of the Colorado Music Festival.

A regarded solo artist, Andrew has appeared regularly as a soloist with the LA Phil since joining the orchestra. Andrew has also appeared at the front of the stage with the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Colorado Music Festival, Colburn Orchestra and Music in the Round Festival. In 2015 Andrew presented the world premiere of Brad Warnaar’s Horn Concerto with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra and looks forward to recording the work in 2016. A keen chamber musician, Andrew loves to explore the possibilities of the horn in various ensembles and most recently gave the first performance of Geoffrey Gordon’s Winterleben for Mezzo Soprano, Horn and Piano.

In addition to performing, Andrew is passionate about education and is proud to be the Horn Professor at the Colburn School Conservatory. Andrew has held teaching positions with the Australian National Academy of Music, University of Melbourne, Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and Sydney Conservatorium. He has also given master classes and lectures throughout the United States, Europe and Australasia.

Throughout 2015 Andrew appeared as guest principal horn of the Chicago Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic and the Australian World Orchestra’s concerts with Simon Rattle in Sydney and Melbourne and the AWO’s groundbreaking tour throughout India with Zubin Mehta. As Co-host of the 2015 International Horn Symposium here in LA, Andrew was thrilled to welcome over 1000 horn players and musicians to the Colburn School for a week long celebration of everything horn!

Andrew can be heard on numerous Hollywood films and was overjoyed to fulfill the dream of a lifetime working with John William’s as principal horn for the score of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’

As well as appearing at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil, over the Summer Andrew is the Principal Horn of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego and faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival and School.

In addition to music, Andrew loves traveling, cooking and exploring L.A. with his beautiful wife, Rupal. If he’s not working, you will most likely find him on the golf course trying to improve his handicap.

Last updated 2022

Jenna Breen holding French Horn

Jenna Breen

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Australian Hometown(s): Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Education: Queensland Conservatorium of Music; Australian National Academy of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
French horn player Jenna Breen obtained her Bachelor of Music Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where she studied under Peter Luff on an Academic Scholarship. During her course she also received the Kurt Blumenthal Music Scholarship and the Yvonne Haysom Women in Music Bursary. Additional study was undertaken for 1 year at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne.

Since completing her studies, Jenna has held permanent positions in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and now the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, where she has been a member since 2016. In 2014 she was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to study with some of the best low horn players across the globe, visiting Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. Jenna has worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Queensland, Adelaide and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Last updated 2022

Genevieve Clifford holding horn

Genevieve Clifford

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Australian Hometown(s): Melbourne
Education: University of Melbourne; Australian National Academy of Music; University of Arts, Berlin

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Australian born Genevieve Clifford began playing the horn at the age of 9. During her time as a student at the University of Melbourne, studying both music with Geoff Collinson, and also history, she performed regularly with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Orchestra Victoria and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. 

She continued her studies at the Australian National Academy of Music before moving to Germany in 2006 to attend the University of Arts in Berlin, as a student of Professor Christian Dallman. In 2009 she graduated with honours.  

After a year spent performing on contract with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Genevieve won her first permanent position, in the Essener Philharmoniker.  

During her time in Essen, she developed a keen interest in chamber music,  and continues to play regularly with various ensembles.  

In 2016 Genevieve moved to Frankfurt to join the Frankfurt Oper und Museums Orchester as a low horn player.  

She has toured on a regular basis with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra for many years, including as an Associate member in 2020. Genevieve also performs with other renowned orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bayreuther Festpiel Orchester, Hessischer Runkfunkorchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester, Australian World Orchestra and Musica Aeterna.  

Genevieve holds a teaching position as lecturer for horn at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg.  

As a soloist Genevieve has performed with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Last updated 2023

David Evans holding horn

David Evans

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Australian Hometown(s): Melbourne & Perth
Education: Victorian College of the Arts, Australian National Academy of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
David Evans studied horn at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian College of the Arts, and the Australian National Academy of Music. In 2002 David was appointed Principal Horn with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and has since appeared as a soloist with WASO on numerous occasions, performing works by Schumann, Mozart and Britten.

David has performed as Guest Principal Horn in the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian, Malaysian Philharmonic and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, and in July 2010 David performed a recital as a featured artist at the 42nd International Horn Symposium in Brisbane. David was a member of the Australian World Orchestra in 2013, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in September 2013.

Last updated 2022

Ben Jacks

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Australian Hometown(s): Hobart & Sydney
Education: University of Western Australia

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Ben Jacks was born in Hobart in 1975 and, after studying with Heidi Kepper at the University of Western Australia, he travelled overseas, studying with Dale Clevenger and Gail Williams in Chicago, Stefan Dohr in Berlin, Erich Penzel in Cologne and Hector McDonald in Vienna.

He joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Principal Third Horn in 1998 and in 2001 was appointed Principal Horn. In Australia he has also appeared as a guest principal with the Tasmanian, Adelaide, Queensland, West Australian and Melbourne Symphony orchestras and the Opera Australia Orchestra. Internationally, he has performed with the period instrument ensemble Academy of Vienna, regularly appears as guest principal with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, and in 2017 was invited by Riccardo Muti to perform as guest principal with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed as guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra since 2014, and in 2018 joined the LSO on tour with Simon Rattle.

In 2003 he played Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn and strings with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (also performing the same work with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra). He is a founding member of the Australian Brass Quintet, and maintains a busy schedule as a soloist and chamber musician. His debut recording, Rhapsodie: Fantasie: Poème, conducted by Barry Tuckwell, features previously unrecorded works for horn and orchestra by Jean-Michel Damase.

Last updated 2023

Lin Jiang

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Australian Hometown: Melbourne
Education: University of Melbourne; Victorian College of the Arts

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Principal Horn of the HK Phil, Lin Jiang was born in Shanghai in 1986. He moved to Australia at the age of five and began playing the horn at the age of ten. As one of Australia’s most sought-after horn soloists, he has performed solos with the Melbourne, Tasmania and Sydney Symphony orchestras, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra. 

Lin has won prizes in international competitions and was a finalist in the prestigious Freedman Fellowship Programme. In 2008, at the age of 21, he won the Principal Horn position of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, making him the youngest principal in the history of the orchestra. In 2013 he was appointed to the Principal Horn position of the HK Phil. As a guest principal, he has played with top orchestras around the world that include the Australian Chamber, Australian World, Sydney, Melbourne, Seoul, Vienna, Asian Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony orchestras. 

He has worked with renowned conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta and Jaap van Zweden. As an avid pedagogue, Lin holds guest faculty positions at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist and Chinese Universities. He previously taught at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore and frequently gives masterclasses around the world at various music festivals and tertiary institutions. 

Lin has released a CD of the Mozart Horn Concertos with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barry Tuckwell and a CD of solo works under the Melba Recordings label, both to critical acclaim.

Last updated 2023

Claudia Leggett holding horn

Claudia Leggett

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Australian Hometown(s): Brisbane
Education: Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University; Australian National Academy of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Horn player Claudia Leggett was recently the successful candidate in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Principal Third Horn audition and will begin her trial with the orchestra in October.  Claudia is the current Sydney Symphony Orchestra Horn Fellow.  She has performed as a casual musician with the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, the Queensland Festival Philharmonic Orchestra and has toured internationally with the Australian International Opera Company.  In 2022 she also completed a week-long Fellowship with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra through the Australian Youth Orchestra and is the principal horn of the AYO this year. 

Claudia is originally from Queensland and graduated from a Bachelor of Music with distinction from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in 2019.  Whilst completing her studies, she played with the Queensland Youth Symphony and was featured as a soloist at the Queensland Youth Orchestras’ Morning Music recital series.  She got her first professional playing experience through an internship with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2019.  She then moved to Melbourne to study at the Australian National Academy of Music where she was awarded the ANAM Obligato Chamber Music Encouragement Award.  

Last updated 2022

Saul Lewis

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Australian Hometown: Melbourne
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Saul Lewis has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Horn section since 2009 and holds the position of Principal Third Horn. After completing his A.S.C.M. at the Sydney Conservatorium, Saul was awarded a Big Brother Scholarship and studied with many of the pre-eminent horn players in London and Germany. He later completed his Masters Degree in Performance in Sydney under Tony Buddle and became Principal 3rd Horn with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra in 1994. 

He has played with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestra as well as being active in the commercial scene on film scores. Saul was a founding member of the Sydney wind quintet Enigma Five and was reviewed for his “fine horn playing” in a concerto performance with Cove Chamber Ensemble in 1991. He won the position of Principal 3rd Horn with the MSO in 2010 and is also teaching at Monash University and the University of Melbourne

Last updated 2022

Peter Luff holding horn

Peter Luff

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Australian Hometown: Perth
Education: Elder Conservatorium; University of Adelaide

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Peter Luff is an Associate Professor at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University where he lectures in horn and brass performance.

Formerly Associate Principal Horn with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Peter has, and continues to perform with, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Australian World Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Southern Cross Soloists and is currently solo horn with the Brisbane based “Ensemble Q” where he performs, broadcasts and records extensively with ABC classic FM and 4MBS FM. He has toured as a solo recitalist in the USA, Japan, China, Korea, Canada and Europe.

Peter is in great demand as a Horn teacher, with many of his Horn graduates securing permanent playing positions in national and international professional symphony orchestras. Peter has served as vice president of the International Horn Society (IHS), is a member of the IHS Advisory Council, and a recipient of the society’s prestigious “Punto Award” for his contributions to the Australian horn playing community.

Last updated 2022

Hector McDonald

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Australian Hometown: Toowoomba
Education: Sydney Conservatorium of Music

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
With his impressive moustache and equally eye-catching eyebrows, Hector McDonald – yogi and strict vegetarian – is one of Australia’s most accomplished brass players.

Born in the country New South Wales town of Toowomba into a ‘non-musical’ family, Hector’s first experience of music came at the age of nine, when his older brothers dragged him along to the Blue Mountains Brass Band in Katoomba.  He was given a tenor horn and immediately fell in love with the brass sound. Later he moved to the euphonium, then trombone.

At seventeen, he found himself in personal circumstances which required him to earn a salary, so he signed up for the Air Force Band.  On his first day in his new job he was handed a French Horn and told he had a day to learn to play it.  His daughter arrived soon after.

He then was offered a job with the ABC training orchestra, before winning a position with the Elizabethan Trust Orchestra, and performed at the opening of the Sydney Opera House on a windy day in October 1973 – conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, patron of the AWO.

In 1975, Hector was invited to study in Berlin by horn player Herman Bauman.  He took leave from his orchestra job in Sydney and moved to Germany with his wife and young daughter…never to return to Australia.  By February 1976 he won a job with the Berlin Philharmonic, just as his second daughter was born.

Since then he has worked with the Berlin Radio Orchestra and for the past 24 years has played Principal Horn with both the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and period instrument group Concentus Musicus, Wien.

Hector has been a soloist with leading orchestras all over the world – in Europe, Britain, the USA, Japan, South-East Asia and Australia.  He’s considered one of the world’s leading exponents of all the members of the horn family and performs regularly as soloist on the Baroque Horn, the Classical or Natural Horn, the Vienna Horn and the modern Double Horn. Hector has a collection of over 50 instruments stashed in his Vienna flat.

Despite having been away from Australia for over 25 years, Hector still feels Australian. He follows Australian politics and subscribes to Crikey and the Australian Geographic.  He listens to ABC Radio regularly and follows Australian Cricket, Rugby and Soccer. ‘I don’t miss Australia but whenever I’m there I am very reluctant to return back overseas.’

For Hector, the AWO is ‘ a truly unique idea. I’m delighted to be part of it & think it deserves all the support one can muster. I found the experience a real highlight both musically & socially. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

Last updated 2018