Guest Artist - Patrick Hughes
With a tone and musicality described as “pure chocolate”, Patrick Hughes has soloed in recitals throughout the US, at yearly regional horn conferences, and IHS International Horn Symposia. In 2006, he performed the Asian premiere of Kazimierz Machala’s Concerto for Horn, Winds and Percussion in Bangkok, Thailand. He has also been a featured soloist with various groups at the University of Texas, (most recently performing the Hamburg Concerto by György Ligeti), the Northwestern University Percussion Ensemble, the St. Olaf Orchestra, and the Dallas Wind Symphony. The Dallas Morning News described Hughes as “…a dream soloist…His tone was warm and honeyed, his virtuosity and legato both apparently effortless.”
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Patrick Hughes serves as Associate Professor of Horn, Head of the Brass Wind and Percussion Division, and director of the award-winning UT Horn Choir at the University of Texas at Austin. He enjoys an active free-lance career, playing principal horn with La Follia Austin Baroque (valveless horn), and playing extra with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin, Austin Lyric Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Opera Piccola of San Antonio. He also plays with touring Broadway Musicals, and enjoys playing behind popular performers who frequent Austin. Summer teaching has included the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Round Top Music Festival, and Kendall Betts Horn Camp.
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Mr. Hughes is a frequent guest lecturer/performer/teacher giving masterclasses and recitals across the US and abroad. In May of 2013 he traveled to Australia to teach, perform recitals, and give the Australian Premier of three of his compositions for horn choir at the Queensland (Brisbane) and Sydney Conservatories of Music. Mr. Hughes also enjoys arranging and composing works for horn and horn choir. Both Dancing on the Hill and From Hildegard were premiered at International Horn Symposia (Denton TX, and San Francisco). Dancing on the Hill won an Honorable Mention award in the virtuoso division of the International Horn Society’s 2015 Composition Competition. His latest chamber work, Pange Lingua for two horns and piano, was commissioned by Julie Landsman (New York Met). Julie and Patrick gave the premiere performance in November 2018 with Patti Wolf at the piano. His music is published through BrownWood Publishing.
Mr. Hughes hosted the 2005 and 2014 Mid-South Regional Horn Workshops at the University of Texas, has adjudicated for the International Horn Competition of America, serves on the Reviewing Committee of the IHS (International Horn Society) Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Fund, and is currently an elected member of the IHS Advisory Council, where he serves as Scholarship Coordinator.
Host - Benjamin Lieser
Dr. Benjamin Lieser is both an educator and musician in the Central Florida Area. He currently teaches horn at the University of Central Florida, having previously taught horn at Stetson University and Valdosta State University. He performs with the Brevard Symphony, the Bach Festival Society, the Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Wind Quintet.
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Dr. Lieser recently completed a DM in brass performance at Florida State University (’15). His previous degrees were earned at the University of Cincinnati (MM ’01) and Florida State University (BA ’99). He has studied with Michelle Stebleton, Randy Gardner, Duane Duggar, Randall Faust, and William Capps.
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Dr. Lieser has performed as a regional artist at the Central Florida Horn Workshops, The Southeast Horn Workshops, and the International Horn Symposiums. Additionally, he has been a featured soloist with the OFUNAM Orchestra in Mexico City.
Featured Artists
Paul Basler - University of Florida
Paul Basler is Professor of Music at the University of Florida where he has been on the faculty since 1993. Prior to his appointment at UF, he served as the Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Music at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, taught at Western Carolina University, and was the North Carolina Visiting Artist in Residence at Caldwell Community College.
Basler is a frequent guest performer, lecturer, and composer at national and international music festivals, horn society workshops, and educational institutions. He has been a member of the Brevard, Charleston, Valdosta, Greenville, and Asheville Symphonies and continues to maintain a busy performing schedule throughout the United States and abroad.
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Basler received his B.M. degree from Florida State University, M.M., M.A. and D.M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University. Basler's horn teachers have included William Purvis, William Capps, and Barry Benjamin, and his composition teachers have been John Boda, John Downey, Bülent Arel, John Lessard, and Billy Jim Layton.
Kathy Thomas - Stetson University
Kathy Thomas has enjoyed an extensive professional career in central Florida. Originally from Lombard, Illinois, Mrs. Thomas started horn at age of 9 with Sharon Corbin. While attending the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana she studied with Kent Laramee and Kazimierz Machala, and also John Fairfield at Northern Illinois University. Mrs. Thomas enjoyed playing with the Wheaton Summer Symphony, Champaign/Urbana Symphony, Symfonia Da Camera, Danville Symphony, and Hinsdale Symphony.
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After moving to Florida in 1993, Mrs. Thomas has steadily worked for the Walt Disney World Company, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra, West Coast Symphony, and The Florida Orchestra. In 2004 Mrs. Thomas won the third horn position with the Orlando Philharmonic. She is a member of the Sovereign Brass Quintet. In 2012 Kathy was appointed the position of adjunct professor of French Horn at Stetson University. Her solo credits include performing with the Stetson Chamber Orchestra and Bach Festival Orchestra.
Margaret Tung - University of Kentucky
Dr. Margaret Tung is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at University of Kentucky. She has performed with the famed Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Opera Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and is principal horn of CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra.
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Dr. Tung is an education enthusiast and has been on faculty at The University of Akron, Towson University, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Olivet Nazarene University, Wheaton College, Zurich International School in Switzerland and is currently on faculty at Marrowstone Music Festival in Bellingham, WA.
Dr. Tung completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts at The Ohio State University and holds a Master of Music from Rice University and a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University. Her teachers include world renowned Dale Clevenger, William VerMeulen, Oto Carrillo, Jon Boen, David Griffin, and Bruce Henniss.
Kelly Langenberg - Gulf Coast State College
Kelly Langenberg is a classically-trained musician and Horn teacher based in Panama City, Florida. Langenberg currently serves as the Brass Instructor at Gulf Coast State College and is a member of the Panama City Symphony and the Northwest Florida Symphony. Kelly has performed live with Doc Severinsen, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Il Volo, Celtic Women, and many other pop artists, and tours internationally with the Alliance Brass Quintet.
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Ms. Langenberg earned a B.M.E. and B.M. from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory and a M.M. in Horn Performance from De Paul University in Chicago, Illinois. Her primary teachers include Neil Kimel, Jon Boen, and Hans Clebsch.