Philip Myers

Philip F. Myers is an American French horn virtuoso and pedagogue. In 2017, he retired from his post as Principal Horn of The New York Philharmonic and remains active as a soloist worldwide. As of today, Myers is the last individual to have held the Principal Horn position in The New York Philharmonic.

Philip F. Myers
Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic
In office
January 1980  June 2017
Preceded byJohn Cerminaro
Principal Horn of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra
In office
1978  January 1980
Third Horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
In office
1974–1977
Principal Horn of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra
In office
1971–1974
Personal details
Born
Philip F. Myers

(1949-06-24) June 24, 1949
Elkhart, Indiana
Spouse(s)Eileen Moon-Myers
ResidenceOrange County, New York
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (B.M. Music Performance) (B.M. Music Education)
OccupationMusician
ProfessionFrench Horn

Early life and education

Philip F. Myers was born on June 24, 1949 in Elkhart, Indiana. He attended Carnegie Mellon University from 1967—1971, where he studied French Horn with renowned Horn pedagogue Forrest Standley. During the summers of 1970 and 1971, Myers attended the Blossom Festival where he studied music with the Principal Horn of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Myron Bloom.

Musical career

From 1980 to 2017, Myers served as Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic and frequently appeared as soloist with the orchestra. Before arriving at the New York Philharmonic, he was Principal Horn of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1971 to 1974, Third Horn of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1974 to 1977, and Principal Horn of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1978 to 1980. Presently Myers is on the faculty at the Haute École de Musique, part of the Lausanne Conservatory in Fribourg, Switzerland.

Myers released his first solo CD under Cala Records in 1998. He plays music by Leonard Bernstein and David Amram, among others.. Myers can also be heard on the CD Take 9, featuring the horns of the New York Philharmonic and the American Horn Quartet., as well as a New York Philharmonic digital release, featuring a 2011 recording of him performing the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1.

In August 2014, Myers was elected an Honorary Member of the International Horn Society at the 46th International Horn Symposium in London. Currently he plays F/B-flat/f alto Engelbert Schmid Triple Horns. Formerly, Myers played Silver Conn 8D Double Horns.

Legacy

Myers is renowned for his unique sound, musical interpretations, and virtuosic abilities on the French Horn. He is capable of varying his sound from soft "dulcet" tones that can mirror qualities of the human voice to "controlled" powerful tones that can command an orchestra, such as The New York Philharmonic, with incredible ease. In addition, Myers prepares each piece of music that he performs by first studying the musical score in order to better understand how his part fits into the whole and any intentions the composer may have had for the piece. As a result, Myers' performances provide an intellectual approach to works ranging across symphonic, chamber, and solo repertoires, which, along with his vast dynamic range and sound palette, provide him with a legacy that is—as of yet—unparalleled amongst American horn players.


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