Double Horn in F - B-flat MET DP-12679-153

Anton Horner (June 21, 1877 – December 4, 1971) was an American horn player. He was part of the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...

for 44 years and served and for 28 years its solo horn player. He is credited for introducing the

double horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

to the United States.

Biography

Horner was born in Gossengrün,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

, part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(now

Krajková Krajková (german: Gossengrün) is a municipality and village in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Anenská Ves, Bernov, Dolina, Hrádek, Květná and ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

) in 1877. He studied under

Friedrich Gumpert Friedrich Adolph Gumpert (27 April 1841, Lichtenau (Thüringen) – 31 December 1906, Leipzig) was a German horn player and teacher. Gumpert received his early musical education in Jena. From 1860 he was a horn player, first in Bad Nauheim, then ...

at the

Leipzig Conservatory The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...

. After coming to the United States, he joined the Pittsburgh Symphony led by

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is be ...

in 1899. He toured Europe in 1900 with the Sousa Band. He joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1902, and retired in 1946. He taught for many years at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

. He died in Springfield, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1971 at age 94. Upon his death, the Philadelphia Orchestra director

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association wit ...

called Horner "one of the greatest horn players of all time”. Among his many accomplished pupils was Mason Jones.Bach Be Minor Mass
(album liner notes, 1961)

References

{{reflist 1877 births 1971 deaths People from Sokolov District American people of German Bohemian descent American horn players Curtis Institute of Music faculty University of Music and Theatre Leipzig alumni