French Horn with Dan W.

Welcome to my profile! As the Principal Horn of the New York City Ballet, I have dedicated my life to making beautiful music since early childhood. I began studies on piano at the age of two, composition at age five, and finally the horn at age nine. My performance experience is extensive, ranging from orchestral, concert band, chamber music, and solo repertoire, to pop, rock, show tunes, and jazz. I strive to be very adaptive in my teaching style. Some students need to be pushed, others need a slower pace. People have different learning styles, different strengths and weaknesses, different goals, different personalities. I'm a born problem solver, so my first questions to new students focus on determining their goals and intentions, their current level, and the best strategy for getting them to where they'd like to be. One of my greatest joys in life is working with motivated goal oriented students through private lessons and ensemble coachings. As a musician, yogi, athlete, and health nut, I aim to integrate as many skill sets as it takes to best aid the student. I have been teaching private horn lessons and performing professionally for more than 2 decades. Students of mine consistently place high in region and all state auditions, and have gone on to study at major music schools across the US and Europe. Here are some of my Performing credentials: * Principal Horn - New York City Ballet Orchestra * Principal Horn - Glimmerglass Opera * Substitute Musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra * Substitute Musician with the New Jersey Symphony * Principal Horn - Pennsylvania Ballet (Philadelphia) * Principal Horn - Ocean City Pops Orchestra (NJ) * Substitute Musician for My Fair Lady and Lion King on Broadway * Recordings for NASCAR, Sony Classical, and Naxos Records * Hornist and founder of Universal Brass Ensemble * Active Clinician, Chamber Musician, Orchestral Musician, and Soloist * Performances with Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, The Who, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Carlos Santana, Mannheim Steamroller, Patti Lupone, Leann Rhimes, Josh Groban... * Bachelor Degree in Horn Performance, with outside studies in Piano and Composition from Indiana University. Education credentials: * Visiting Faculty at Bennington Chamber Music Conference - 2018 * Faculty Westminster Choir College - 2003-2006 * Faculty Summertrios festival - 2002-Present * Coach and clinician at Rutgers University, James Madison University, University of Central Arkansas, Kutztown University, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University ****Please contact for availability. I do not use the calendar function on this website.