David Wakefield Joins Hartt's Instrumental Studies Division

The Hartt School, the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford, is pleased to welcome acclaimed horn player and American Brass Quintet member David Wakefield to the faculty of The Hartt School's Instrumental Studies Division. As a senior artist teacher, Wakefield will work with Hartt's horn students.

"My excitement in being here at Hartt is largely due to the warm and lovely people among the student body, their openness to learn, and their enthusiasm as they pursue their art," Wakefield said of his recent appointment.

Wakefield joined the American Brass Quintet while a doctoral student at The Juilliard School in 1976. He studied horn with Paul Mansur, Caesar LaMonaca, and James Chambers. Other summer teachers included Phil Farkas, Douglas Hill, and John Cerminaro.

In 1976 he joined the Aspen Music Festival and School horn and chamber music faculty. In 1987 he joined the Juilliard horn and chamber music faculty, and from 1995 through 2000 was Senior Associate Dean at Juilliard.

With the American Brass Quintet, Mr. Wakefield has toured all 50 states and worldwide, recorded more than 40 CDs, and was one of the first American musicians invited to teach and perform in the People's Republic of China after the Cultural Revolution.

Currently principal horn of the Little Orchestra Society in New York, he also has performed with the New York and Vienna Philharmonics, New York City Ballet, New York City and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Saint Louis Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and the Opera Orchestra of New York.

He has premiered more than 250 new works with the American Composers Orchestra, Parnassus, New Music Consort, Speculum Musicae, and the American Brass Quintet, working with composers such as John Adams, Bruce Adolphe, Milton Babbitt, Jan Bach, Robert Beaser, Luciano Berio, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Billy Childs, John Corigliano, Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, Eric Ewazen, Philip Glass, Paul Moravec, Anthony Plog, Ned Rorem, Christopher Rouse, Huang Ruo, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Robert Starer, Joan Tower, George Tsontakis, Virgil Thomson, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and MeLinda Wagner.

He also has performed in the pit for numerous Broadway productions, as well as on commercial recordings.

Mr. Wakefield presented master classes at Rome's Academy of St. Cecilia from 1991 through 1993, and is the author of A Comprehensive Survey of Orchestral Excerpt Books for Horn.

The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920, Hartt has been an integral part of the University of Hartford since its charter merged the then Hartt School of Music, the Hartford Art School, and Hillyer College to create the University in 1957. 2010 markEd Hartt's 90th year of providing world class performing arts education to students in Greater-Hartford and around the world. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt's curriculum. For more information about The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

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