WILLIAM
VER MEULEN
Professor of Horn
Principal, Houston Symphony
WILLIAM VER MEULEN is hailed as 'an impeccable solo horn'
by the Berlin Neue Zeit and leads his generation of American Horn
Soloists. In Tune magazine says, 'The horn playing of William VerMeulen
is miraculous! ... clearly one of today's superstars of the international
brass scene.' Fanfare magazine writes, 'Horn virtuoso William VerMeulen
may be the best of the lot, commanding his difficult instrument
with suavity and grace .' Mr. VerMeulen has been Principal Horn
of the Houston Symphony since 1990 and is alsoa member of the Houston
Symphony Chamber Players. In addition he served as Guest Principal
Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the 1998-1999 season.
He previously played with the orchestras of Chicago, Columbus,
St. Paul, Honolulu, and Kansas City and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. VerMeulen has participated as a performer and on faculty in numerous music
festivals including: Tanglewood, Grand Teton, Pacific, Steamboat Springs, Sun
Valley, Colorado, Interlochen, Chamber Music Northwest, Orcas Island and Maui
Music Festival. He has performed to critical acclaim on four continents as a
soloist and chamber musician and is a popular artist at international horn symposiums.
He has performed and toured with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
and joined friend Joshua Bell for chamber music in London's Wigmore Hall. His
recording of the four Mozart Horn Concerti with Christoph Eschenbach and the
Houston Symphony is heralded internationally with high critical acclaim. He is
also featured on the compact disc entitled "First Chair" with music
of Samuel Adler. This CD features select principal players from the major American
orchestras. A new concerto written for Mr. VerMeulen by Samuel Adler was commissioned
by the Houston Symphony for premiere in February, 2003. In addition, Mr. VerMeulen
has championed numerous new works with commissions and premieres and will premiere
a new concerto by Pierre Jalbert in 2003-2004.
A winner of array of awards and honors, Mr. Ver Meulen received first prize at
the 1980 International Horn Society Soloist Competition and was awarded the Outstanding
Brass Player award of the 1985 Tanglewood Festival. Equally regarded for his
pedagogical mastery, Mr. VerMeulen is Professor of Horn at the Shepherd
School of Music at Rice University and has students performing in major orchestras
throughout the world. His rate of student success leads the industry with over
ninety percent of his students professionally employed. He is a contributor to
the international publication for hornists, "The Horn Call" and has
been featured in numerous interviews on playing and pedagogy. In 1985 he was
invited to the White House to receive a Distinguished Teacher of America Certificate
of Excellence from President Reagan. He coaches regularly at the New World Symphony,
National Repertory Orchestra and National Orchestral Institute. Mr. VerMeulen
received his training at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Northwestern University
and performs on horns hand-crafted and custom made by Keith Berg of Canada, Engelbert
Schmid of Germany and Paxman of London.
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