John Little Horn Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #15 of Horn Signal! This episode features an interview with John Little, horn soloist and teacher.
About John Little
John Little has been a touring member of the Starlight Horn Duo, been a featured artist at the Northeast Horn Workshop, a teaching clinician for the Northeast Horn Workshop, performed as a featured soloist at the KMEA, KMTA, Southern Indiana Mozart Festival, with the Jewish Community Orchestra, The Kentuckiana Philharmonic, The Christian Academy of Louisville Wind Ensemble, Featured artist/clinician at the Ohio University Horn Weekend, and most recently at Murray State University, and Campbellsville University, The University of Kentucky, Valdosta State University, The University of Illinois, and The University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory.
His latest solo album, Horn Evolution is on the Parma label, and can be heard on tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, and others. His previous release “Hornistic” can be heard on Spotify, and all streaming services.
Mr. Little has taught horn at Centre College, the University of Louisville Community Music Program, and has twice been artist in residence at Bellarmine University, as well as being Instructor of horn at Campbellsville University.
In 2008 he was awarded the MTNA STaR award for outstanding teaching, and is an MTNA certified Master Teacher. His former students have won positions with the orchestras of Richmond (VA), Louisville, Fort Wayne, Annapolis, Santiago Chile, The Chicago Civic, and a professorship of horn position at Campbellsville University.
John Little is a representative of Buffet Crampon USA, and is a Hans Hoyer concert artist, performing on a Meister Hans Hoyer horn, and is a Parma recording artist. He teaches modern horn, hand horn, baroque horn, peak performance, and performance practice.
John Little Links
Podcast Credits
- “Haydn Symphony #31 “Horn Signal““, “Hornpipe” Water Music by Handel and “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” from Wagner’s Lohengrin
- Audio Engineer – Preston Shepard
- Cover Art – Meg Ryia
- Podcast Hosts – John Snell and Preston Shepard
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Preston Shepard is an active free-lance hornist in the Los Angeles area. A student of Joseph Meyer, he studied at Cal State University Northridge and Azusa Pacific University. Preston has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, San Bernardino Symphony, New West Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Santa Maria Symphony, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, and many others around the Greater Los Angeles area. He has also recorded on numerous feature films, television shows and specials such as Avatar 2, Zootopia 2, Hocus Pocus 2, Aquaman 2, Wish, Encanto : Live at the Hollywood Bowl, The Game Awards, Big City Greens, The Nun, The Boogeyman, Geostorm, Inhumans, The Orville, Blood and Treasure, Homecoming Season 2, Star Trek : Lower Decks, Picard, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Solar Opposites, and Presumed Innocent as well as for video game projects such as Fortnite, Overwatch and League of Legends. He has also recorded on albums for artists such as Avenged Sevenfold and Deadmau5. Preston is the adjunct professor of horn at Westmont College and The Master’s University.
Audrey Flores
Julia Pilant is currently the acting 3rd horn for the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, and a regular guest with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra horn section and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Previously, she was the assistant principal horn for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 14 years and a horn instructor for the Bard College Conservatory of Music for 16 years. Prior to holding those positions, she was the principal horn of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. Ms. Pilant also freelanced for several decades in New York City and performed regularly with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York City Ballet, and numerous Broadway shows. She has played principal horn for the Saito Kinen/Ozawa and Tokyo Opera Nomori music festivals, the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan, and has participated in the Santa Fe Chamber, Affinis (Japan), Sarasota, Festival Napa Valley, Classical Tahoe, Strings, Mainly Mozart, and La Jolla Music Society Summerfest music festivals. In 1994 she won the American Horn Competition. As an equally enthusiastic music educator, she has given masterclasses in schools and festivals across the country, including The Juilliard School, USC, Interlochen Arts Camp, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and is a founding member of the recently formed Coalition of Musicians for Ethical Change. Ms. Pilant received her Bachelor’s degree from Eastman School of Music (student of Verne Reynolds), and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School (student of Julie Landsman).
With over 1,500 credits in film, television and recording, USC graduate Phillip Yao has worked with many of the world’s top composers and musicians including John Williams, James Horner, Michael Giacchino and Jerry Goldsmith.
