ROCHESTER, NY — Barry Tuckwell, revered in music circles as “the god of the horn,” returns to the Eastman School of Music next month for a three-day residency, November 2-4. During his stay, the horn virtuoso (who was in residence at the School in the spring of 1999) will guest conduct the 25-member Eastman Horn Choir in a free concert at 8 p.m., Friday, November 3, in Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs St.).
Capturing the call of the horn, the concert will feature music of the hunt for horn ensemble, in celebration of St. Hubert’s Day. (St. Hubert is the patron saint of ethical hunting; his feast day is November 3.) Tuckwell will lead the Eastman Horn Choir in selections by Schubert and Bruckner. Several other pieces, including a Rochester premiere of John Cheetham’s Chasing Diana, will be conducted by Eastman Professor Peter Kurau, director of the Horn Choir. The Eastman-Rochester Men’s Chorus, led by Professor William Weinert, will harmonize with a horn quintet in works by Schumann and Mendelssohn.
During his residency, Tuckwell also will lead three horn master classes, which are open to the public. In the first, Friday, November 3, at 10 a.m. in Howard Hanson Hall, he will coach several current Eastman horn majors. He’ll do the same in the second at 10 a.m., Saturday, November 4, in Eastman School Room 305. The final session, Saturday at 3:15 in Eastman School Room 120, will be a “Hot Topics” lecture, sponsored by the Community Education Department. Additionally, Tuckwell will work with individual horn players and speak to students in Eastman’s innovative Arts Leadership Program.
Tuckwell has brought a unique virtuosity and musicality to the horn for more than four decades, and has recorded more horn literature than any other player. Critics have cited the “incredible musicality of his phrasing,” and “the silken sheen of his tone.” Originally from Australia, Tuckwell became a U.S. citizen in 1992 in accordance with the “Extraordinary Ability” clause in the 1990 Immigration Act. This status is granted only to those individuals who have risen to the very top of their field.
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Note to editors: Photos of Mr. Tuckwell are available upon request.