Stefan de Leval Jezierski (born March 22, 1954) is an American

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

player and was the longest serving hornist of the

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

(Berliner Philharmoniker). Born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, he studied horn with Myron Bloom at the

Cleveland Institute of Music The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educatio ...

and at the

North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governo ...

. While still a student he appeared as a soloist with members of the

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Sev ...

Severance Hall Severance Hall is a concert hall located in the University Circle section of Cleveland, Ohio. Opened in 1931, Severance Hall was named after patrons John L. Severance and his wife, Elisabeth Huntingdon DeWitt Severance, and serves as the hom ...

and was shortly thereafter appointed principal horn of the Kassel State Opera orchestra. In 1978 at the age of twenty-three, he was hired by

Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan (; born Heribert Ritter von Karajan; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, wit ...

and the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

to play high horn. Until 2021 he was a member of the winds of the Berlin Philharmonic and co-founded the

Scharoun Ensemble The Scharoun Ensemble is a German chamber music group, consisting of members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. The repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary music. Background and history The Scharoun Ensemble Berlin was founded in 1983 by memb ...

. Appearing regularly as a soloist and chamber musician at major music festivals and concert venues throughout Europe, America, and Asia, he is also honorary professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Jezierski also taught at the Berliner Philharmoniker's academy, the Karajan Akademie. His enthusiasm for playing jazz on the horn inspired him to form a jazz quintet with other top North American players living in Berlin and has led to onstage improvisations with notable musicians such as

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

. Countless LP's, CD's, and video recordings document his career.

External links

Berlin Philharmonic entry

Scharoun Ensemble entry
American classical horn players Living people Players of the Berlin Philharmonic American jazz horn players Musicians from Boston Cleveland Institute of Music alumni 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American musicians 21st-century classical musicians 21st-century American musicians American expatriates in Germany 1954 births Jazz musicians from Massachusetts {{brass-musician-stub