Wes Hatch Horns
I started life as a trumpet player, and switched to horn in 1968 while a member of the 437th Army Band at Fort Riley, Kansas. I was "persuaded" to make the switch.
I have a BS in music education, and an MM in horn performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. My primary teachers are William Klinglehoeffer and Gail Williams.
While a graduate student at NIU I played third horn with the Rockford Symphony, Principal Horn with the Rockford Chamber Orchestra and two seasons as a regular member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra.
Upon graduation from NIU I played third horn for four and one half months with the American Wind Symphony in Pittsburgh, PA. While I was with that group I met my wife of thirty one years, Lesley. At the end of the season I moved to Wisconsin to be with her and began employment with the Frank Holton Company as Tester, and later Foreman of Final Assembly.
While at Holton I had the privilege to work with Barry Tuckwell, Phil Farkas, Louis Stout, Ethel Merker and other well known horn players. It was during these years that I learned the effect that tapers, materials and care in construction have on the performance of a horn. I left Holton after ten years to pursue a career in instrument repair in Milwaukee where I was able to do further research and experimentation in horn repair and customization.
When I left Holton I was also free to supplement my income as a free lance horn player. I was a substitute with the Milwaukee Symphony for seventeen years, many as first call. I was associate principal horn with the Milwaukee Ballet orchestra and was able to play the end of three seasons with Chicago Lyric Opera as they prepared and performed Wagner`s Ring Cycle. I played sixth horn and second Wagner tuba and was an original "Zubin`s Tuben", the name we gave ourselves as members of Zubin Mehta`s Wagner tuba section.
I have played principal horn with most of the orchestras in Southeast Wisconsin as well as guest principal with the Kenosha Symphony and the Fox Valley Symphony. Formally principal horn with the Wisconsin Philharmonic I now limit my playing to principal horn with the Milwaukee Festival City Symphony and assorted free lancing, including a four week run playing with the back up orchestra for Cheap Trick.
I have a BS in music education, and an MM in horn performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. My primary teachers are William Klinglehoeffer and Gail Williams.
While a graduate student at NIU I played third horn with the Rockford Symphony, Principal Horn with the Rockford Chamber Orchestra and two seasons as a regular member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra.
Upon graduation from NIU I played third horn for four and one half months with the American Wind Symphony in Pittsburgh, PA. While I was with that group I met my wife of thirty one years, Lesley. At the end of the season I moved to Wisconsin to be with her and began employment with the Frank Holton Company as Tester, and later Foreman of Final Assembly.
While at Holton I had the privilege to work with Barry Tuckwell, Phil Farkas, Louis Stout, Ethel Merker and other well known horn players. It was during these years that I learned the effect that tapers, materials and care in construction have on the performance of a horn. I left Holton after ten years to pursue a career in instrument repair in Milwaukee where I was able to do further research and experimentation in horn repair and customization.
When I left Holton I was also free to supplement my income as a free lance horn player. I was a substitute with the Milwaukee Symphony for seventeen years, many as first call. I was associate principal horn with the Milwaukee Ballet orchestra and was able to play the end of three seasons with Chicago Lyric Opera as they prepared and performed Wagner`s Ring Cycle. I played sixth horn and second Wagner tuba and was an original "Zubin`s Tuben", the name we gave ourselves as members of Zubin Mehta`s Wagner tuba section.
I have played principal horn with most of the orchestras in Southeast Wisconsin as well as guest principal with the Kenosha Symphony and the Fox Valley Symphony. Formally principal horn with the Wisconsin Philharmonic I now limit my playing to principal horn with the Milwaukee Festival City Symphony and assorted free lancing, including a four week run playing with the back up orchestra for Cheap Trick.
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