Testimonials
Erik Ralske
Principal Horn
The Metropolitan Opera
“I highly recommend Jeffry Kirschen’s “Accompanied Orchestral Excerpts for Horn” for both students and professionals. We all know how much easier it is to play an excerpt at an audition when you’ve performed it before. But it’s hard to sound experienced with repertoire you may have never performed. Learning the right notes and rhythms of an excerpt with expression is not enough to excel at an audition. One of the nicest compliments I ever received was after winning my job with the NY Philharmonic. Someone said “you played as if you were interacting and playing with an orchestra; you made it clear that these passages are just part of a bigger work.” Excerpts are not stand-alone solos. They are one voice of a dialogue, reacting to something that happened before the passage began or foreshadowing something to come. Working with Jeffry’s book helps players develop that concept, so that the next time you play an audition, you feel more expressively engaged and less lonely if you mentally play along with the entire orchestral part.”
Jennifer Montone
Principal Horn
The Philadelphia Orchestra
“Jeff Kirschen’s method for learning orchestral excerpts is an incredibly helpful tool, and my students have loved using it! Practicing this way strengthens our pitch and rhythm, and provides understanding of the harmonies and style of each piece. The method provides a simple, easy to follow path for young players to learn the repertoire, or for professionals to ensure their fundamentals and technique are strong, resulting in more consistent auditions and performances!”
Christopher Dwyer
Second Horn
The Philadelphia Orchestra
“I am a huge advocate of Jeff’s Accompanied Excerpts for Horn method book. While rhythm, pitch, and accuracy are all paramount to audition success there is another element that is often not emphasized enough, the MUSIC! Ideally, the audition committee should be able to hear the entire orchestra around you in your presentation. Those are the auditions that stand out and motivate the committee to offer you the job. I utilized Jeff’s system in my lead up to both my St Louis Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra auditions and was fortunate enough to win both.”
Randy Gardner
Artist-In-Residence Temple University, Second Horn Retired The Phila. Orchestra
“I enthusiastically endorse Jeffry Kirschen’s Accompanied Orchestral Excerpts for Horn as an extremely valuable method for in-depth preparation of essential audition repertoire. Audition winners demonstrate a thorough knowledge of each excerpt's context and musical expression. Jeffry Kirschen's Accompanied Orchestral Excerpts for Horn offers an opportunity to develop that in-depth understanding while in a practice room.”