Western Hornist
The Western Illinois Horn Festival - 2003
Dedicated to the memory of Helen Kotas Hirsch
April 6, 2003
*THE WESTERN ILLINOIS HORN INSTITUTE, with support from THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL, and The WOMEN’S STUDIES CENTER of WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY presented THE WESTERN ILLINOIS HORN FESTIVAL-2003 “Dedicated to the memory of Helen Kotas Hirsch,” on April 6, 2003.
Featured hornists and lecturers included Natural Hornist and composer Lowell Greer, hornist and scholar Eva Heater, University of Oregon horn professor Ellen Campbell, and the horn professor at West Virginia University and Past President of the International Horn Society: Virginia Thompson.
HELEN KOTAS HIRSCH
For many years, Helen Kotas Hirsch was the horn teacher at both the Sherwood Conservatory of Music and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. She was engaged as Principal Hornist of the Chicago Symphony by Dr. Frederick Stock in 1941 and performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1941-1949. In addition, she also had a notable career as Principal Hornist with the Chicago Lyric Opera; the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra; the Women's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, (first conducted by Frederick Stock); and the All-American Youth Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
OPENING RECITAL
Helen Kotas Hirsch was active in the performance of new works by composers in the Chicago area. Consequently, the Western Illinois Horn Festival remembered her contributions to the development of horn literature through the performances by Eva Heater, Ellen Campbell, and Virginia Thompson of works Helen had premiered:
- The Sonata No. 2 for Horn and Piano by Hugo Kauder
- The Sonata for Horn and Piano by Ernst Lévy
- The Serenade (Le Son du Cor) for Horn and Piano by Arne Oldberg
- 04.06.03 -7:30 PM Program WIUHF2003 (PDF)
- 04.6.03 1:00 PM Program WIUHF2003: Biographical Notes: Helen Kotas Hirsch (PDF)
- HORN FESTIVAL POSTER WIUHF2003 (PDF)
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