New York Philharmonic Hornist Retires After 26 Years
On August 10th, the New York Philharmonic gave a “Farewell & Thanks” to four of its musicians and staff. Among those retiring from the ensemble was Howard Wall, a member of the Philharmonic’s illustrious horn section. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Howard Wall joined the Philharmonic in 1994 after serving 18 years in a similar position with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Prior to joining Philadelphia’s orchestra, Howard was a member of the Phoenix and Denver symphonies.
A Personal Note: As a fellow alum of Carnegie Mellon University, I had the special privilege of interacting with Howard Wall during the School of Music’s centennial celebration in 2012. I was the Orchestra Manager for the CMU Philharmonic and was able to perform in a star-filled concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall that celebrated the history of CMU’s School of Music. While the concert included an impressive list of music alumni, the highlight – for the brass players – was the performance of Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns. The four soloists included Howard Wall (CMU A’72), San Antonio Symphony’s Second Horn Peter Rubins (CMU A’86), Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Horn (and CMU faculty member) William Caballero, and Atlanta Symphony Principal Horn Brice Andrus. If that wasn’t big enough, the Schumann was conducted by Chicago Symphony’s former Principal Horn Dale Clevenger (CMU A’62). Needless to say, the rehearsals and performances were ones that I will not forget for a long time.
After the Carnegie Hall performance, I was invited to a special post-concert reception where I had the honor of sitting at the same table as Howard Wall. His kind and gentle spirit that night was one I will cherish for a long time, and it makes me proud to be a #LoyalScot and #PlaidToTheBone.
Congratulations to Howard Wall on a long, joy-filled career of music-making.
Photo Credit: David Finlayson
