Studying horn at the School of Music at The University of Iowa equips students with: 

  • Performance experience as a soloist, chamber musician, and in large ensembles
  • Knowledge of practice techniques, to be able to be their own teacher upon graduation
  • Knowledge of horn repertoire
  • Understanding of different horn pedagogies
  • Understanding of horn history 
  • Peripheral skills, such as self-recording, stage presence, managing performance anxiety, how to navigate an audition, knowing what equipment to buy, etc.

Horn majors study with Dr. Katy Ambrose. Lessons center around technical development, solo literature, etudes, ensemble repertoire, and preparation for life as a musician. Some students aim to be professional performers and/or educators, while others aim for music to be their secondary career as they work in other fields. Any student who is serious about horn is welcome to apply for the University of Iowa horn studio. If you will work hard and love horn, we want you here!

Non-major horn players can enrolls for lessons with the studio TA, are encouraged to participate in horn choir, and are welcome to audition for large ensembles. 
 
The Horn Studio has three Seraphinoff Halari Classical horns, four Wagner tuben, a Paxman descant horn, and a handful of double horns available for student use. Students are advised to have their own instruments, but there are a small number of school instruments available while a student researches and saves money to purchase their own instrument. Dr. Ambrose's office is equipped with digital audio and video recording equipment (Sony PCM550, Zoom Q3) so that all performances in lessons, seminars, and recitals may be quickly and easily recorded in high-quality digital format for listening and analysis. The student may take a copy of the recording along on their flash drive, CD, or (for smaller files) have it sent via email. Students may also borrow the instructor’s personal professional level mics and equipment to record as well. 
 
There are a wide variety of performing opportunities available in the UI School of Music. There are also semi-professional and professional orchestras in the region where advanced students may find additional playing opportunities. Students are highly encouraged to attend concerts given by guest orchestras that come through Iowa City as well as the professional orchestras in the region:

The horn studio meets once a week for Horn Seminar, which offers opportunities for performance, presentations, lectures, working with guest artists, and peer-to-peer learning. The studio also takes advantage of the rich tradition of horn ensemble and gives Horn Choir concerts every Spring semester. Studio recitals occur every semester, and all members are invited to perform, either in ensembles or as soloist. Some of the subjects covered in Horn Seminar in recent years:
•Warm-ups and Practice Techniques
•Natural horn
•Horn resources (books, articles, internet, dissertations, videos, etc.)
•Stage presence
•Horn repertoire
•Listening - famous horn players and CDs
•Mock auditions
•Dennis Brain
•How to compose your own etudes, duets, trios, etc.
•Peak performance: mental aspects of performance
•How to record yourself
•Horn pedagogy
•Horn history topics
•Horn design
•Composers and the horn
•Horn players as composers
•Book discussions
•Baroque horn playing
•Soundpainting & improvisation
•Studying horn abroad
•Playing horn abroad (employment possibilities)
•Operatic excerpts
•Orchestral excerpts; solo/section
•Section horn playing
•Alexander Technique
•Horn construction, care & maintenance
•Auditioning; auditioning for military bands
•Scale proficiency
•Team technique
•Beyond Kopprasch
•Horn alone - repertoire
•Playing the blues
•Orchestral etiquette, section roles
•Franz Strauss festival
•Student composition performances
•Horn tone
•Farkas video
•Famous horn players
•Buying a horn
•The Beethoven Sonata
•The Haydn horn concerti
•History and demonstration of the Alphorn
•Playing Horn in Broadway Musicals
•Life as a Freelancer
•The Overtone Series
•Scales, Arpeggios, Patterns
•The Physiology of Brass Playing
•Playing Low Horn: Bach, Funk, Gardner, Excerpts, Clefs and More
•Becoming Tiger Woods on the Horn: Microprojects and other Delights
•Paris Conservatory teachers/players of the 19th Century
•Teaching Beginners
•Dealing with and Preventing Musician's Injuries
•Multiple tonguing
•How to make a Podcast
•Scale challenge
•Arpeggio challenge
•The Hunting Horn
•Project: Rhythm!
•Teaching and Playing in Thailand
•Book reviews: Talent is Overrated; The Talent Code, Make it Stick, Mastery, Dennis Brain bio, Philip Farkas bio
•Descant and triple horns
•Mental preparation for performance
•Listening - Famous soloists
•Recital planning
•How to audition
•Peak performance, performance anxiety