Richard 'Gus' Sebring Appointed As Winner Of The BSO's Coveted Principal Horn Position

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its music director Andris Nelsons are pleased to announce the appointment of Richard "Gus" Sebring-a BSO player since 1981-to the position of BSO Principal Horn. A native of Concord, Mass., he succeeds former principal horn James Sommerville, who held the title for 24 years, from 1998 until his retirement in November 2022. Sebring-the 14th musician to hold the position of Principal Horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since its founding in 1881-will also become a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players and will hold the Helen Sagoff Slosberg/Edna S. Kalman chair, endowed in perpetuity. He will take on his new duties with the orchestra as Principal Horn beginning with the BSO's concerts at Carnegie Hall on April 24 and 25, featuring works by Ravel, Thierry Escaich, Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, Mozart, and Thomas Adès, under the direction of Andris Nelsons (click here for further details).

Sebring was one of approximately 150 national and international applicants for the position of BSO Principal Horn, many of whom hold or have held positions in major orchestras throughout the country. After culling down the initial applicant pool to 30, the blind audition process-in front of a committee of BSO musicians-resulted in a pool of three finalists chosen to move on in the process. For the final round audition, which took place on Monday, April 17, the candidates played solo for the Music Director and audition committee, with the Chamber Players, the horn section, and the complete brass section. In the end, Nelsons and the committee declared Sebring the winner of the audition.

As principal horn, Sebring will lead the BSO's horn section in concerts at Symphony Hall, Tanglewood, and Carnegie Hall, as well as for all national and international tour performances. He will also be featured in horn solo passages that are part of the orchestra's regular performance repertoire.

QUOTE FROM BSO RAY AND MARIA STATA MUSIC DIRECTOR ANDRIS NELSONS

"I am thrilled that Gus [Sebring] will be filling this important vacancy. His sensitivity and supreme artistry is only matched by his collegiality, leadership, and wonderful chemistry with his fellow BSO musicians. I look forward to more extraordinary work together with him and the BSO's incredible horn section."

QUOTE FROM NEW BSO PRINCIPAL HORN RICHARD "GUS" SEBRING

"It is a great honor to assume the role of Principal Horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a privilege to share the Symphony Hall stage with Andris Nelsons and my brilliant colleagues. In this time of pervasive digitization and accelerating artificial intelligence, experiences of real, face-to-face communication will become increasingly important. Our connection with our audiences around live music of the highest artistic quality is something so rare in the world, and it is a gift to be able to participate in this vital exchange, sharing the emotional journey elicited by virtuoso concert music."

Richard "Gus" Sebring, Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Horn
Helen Sagoff Slosberg/Edna S. Kalman chair, endowed in perpetuity

A native of Concord, Mass., Richard "Gus" Sebring is Principal Horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is an alumnus of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University, New England Conservatory, University of Washington, and Tanglewood Music Center. A member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Sebring has also been a soloist with the BSO in Symphony Hall, at Tanglewood, and on tour.

As an Emmy-nominated composer/arranger, Sebring has had his scores featured by the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall, at Tanglewood, and at Boston's major sports venues. He has also produced multimedia performance works celebrating the natural beauty of our fragile environment.

Richard Sebring joined the BSO in 1981; the following year he was named Associate Principal Horn of the BSO and Principal Horn of the Boston Pops. He is on the faculties of New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Tanglewood Music Center.

Sebring's solo horn work is prominent in John Williams' score for the 1998 Steven Spielberg film "Saving Private Ryan."

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