Staff Sgt. Cecilia Buettgen
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, Section Horn

French Horn Player Staff Sergeant Cecilia Buettgen of Sterling Heights, Mich., joined the “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in May 2013.

Staff Sgt. Buettgen began her musical training on the horn at age 11. After graduating in 2004 from Sterling Heights High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in 2008 from Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo. In 2010, she earned a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She studied with Lin Folk of WMU, Elizabeth Freimuth of CCM and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Randy Gardner of CCM and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. Buettgen was the acting principal horn of the Beijing National Opera House in China and performed with the Columbus and Lima Symphony Orchestras in Ohio, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra in Newport, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in Indiana, and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra in St. Joseph.

Staff Sgt. Buettgen performs with the Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, and Marine Chamber Ensembles at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour.

Rebekah Daley
North Carolina Symphony (Principal Horn)

Rebekah Daley won her position as Principal Horn of the North Carolina Symphony while pursuing her graduate work at the Shepherd School of Music, studying with William VerMeulen. She previously completed her bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Jerome Ashby and Jennifer Montone.

Also an avid chamber musician, Daley has spent several summers at the Marlboro Music Festival. Other summer festivals include Twickenhamfest, Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra, Sarasota Summer Music Festival, and Colorado College Festival. She has performed with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Symphony in C in Camden, N.J.

Eli Epstein
New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Eli Epstein enjoys a multi-faceted career as performer, educator, conductor and author. Epstein was second horn of the Cleveland Orchestra (1987-2005), and horn professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music (1989-2005). He has appeared several times as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra.

Epstein left Cleveland in 2005, and moved to Boston to devote more time and energy toward educational and creative endeavors. He is currently on faculty of New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. At NEC, Epstein is on the college faculty, NEC at Walnut Hill, and Brass Chair of the Preparatory School. Epstein's students hold positions as chamber musicians and teachers, and have won posts in more than 30 major orchestras in North America.

An active performer, Epstein has appeared on chamber programs at Jordan Hall, Severance Hall, Tanglewood, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, Music Academy of the West, where he was on faculty (2005-2013), and the Aspen Music Festival, where he served as principal horn of the Aspen Chamber Symphony (2000-2012). Epstein has collaborated with the Borromeo and Brentano String Quartets, and has been guest principal horn for the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony. Epstein performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from time to time and has played on the BSO Community Chamber Concerts series.

Director of the NEC Youth Brass Ensemble since 2009, Epstein has conducted college ensembles at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Cleveland Institute of Music, Longy School of Music, Music Academy of the West, NEC, and "El Sistemain" Venezuela.

Johanna Lundy
University of Arizona (faculty) and Tucson Symphony Orchestra (Principal Horn)

Johanna Lundy is the principal horn of the Tucson Symphony and the Assistant Professor of Horn at the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona. She has performed with orchestras across the United States and has appeared as a soloist and guest artist with numerous organizations. Her former students have gone on to varied careers in music. Passionate about sharing music with the world, she believes that connecting with audiences creates the ultimate opportunity to take part in deep, expressive experiences.

Corbin Wagner
Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy (faculty)

Corbin Wagner is a highly regarded horn performer, teacher, and longtime member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He is currently the Associate Professor of Horn at Michigan State University. He is also the horn instructor at the Interlochen Arts Academy. 

Travis Bennett
Western Carolina University (faculty)

Travis Bennett joined the faculty of Western Carolina University in 2006, where he teaches horn, conducts the Horn Choir, and coaches chamber music ensembles. He is an active chamber and orchestral musician, performing regularly with the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet and the Asheville Symphony, as well as other regional ensembles. He has served as a guest artist and teacher in Argentina, and has performed with the SMBQ in China, Germany, the Czech Republic, Jamaica, Hungary, Romania, Mexico and South Africa. He serves as the Area Representative of North Carolina for the International Horn Society, and has hosted the Southeast Horn Workshop twice (2009, 2019). 

David Byrd-Marrow
International Contemporary Ensemble (Solo Horn) and University of Denver (faculty)

Atlanta native David Byrd-Marrow is the Solo hornist of the International Contemporary Ensemble, as well as The Knights. Working with a uniquely wide range of performers, he has premiered works by Matthias Pintscher, Arthur Kampela, George Lewis, Tyshawn Sorey, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Du Yun, Marcos Balter, Wang Lu, Kate Soper, Miguel Zenón, and Chick Corea. He has performed at festivals including the Ojai Music Festival, the Spoleto Music Festival, the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Tanglewood Music Center, Summerfest at the La Jolla Music Society and as faculty at the Festival Napa Valley. Formerly a member of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, he has also made appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Decoda, the Atlanta and Tokyo symphony orchestras, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, the Washington National Opera and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has recorded on many labels including Tundra, More Is More, Nonesuch, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, and Naxos. Mr. Byrd-Marrow received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and Master of Music from Stony Brook University. David is the Assistant Professor of Horn at the Lamont School of Music, of The University of Denver.

Byron Johns
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Principal Horn)

Byron Johns was born and raised in the Gulf Coast city of Venice, Florida. He earned undergraduate degrees in horn performance and choral music education from the Florida State University where he studied with Kevin Reid, James Wilson and Michelle Stebleton. He earned a masters degree in horn performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music while studying with Peter Kurau. In September 2014, Byron joined the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra as a member of the horn section. He won the CSO Principal Horn position in the fall of 2019 after serving for a year as Acting Principal. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Byron held positions with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra. He has performed as a guest with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Naples Philharmonic.

Mr. Johns has a passion for education and serves on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Queens University of Charlotte. He has also held teaching positions with the Volusia County Public Schools and the Eastman Community Music School. When he is not performing or teaching, Byron enjoys fly-fishing, hunting, backpacking and spending time with his wife, Katy, and their two loyal canine friends.

Emily Schaefer
East Carolina University (faculty)

Dr. Emily Schaefer is assistant professor of horn, teaching horn and ear training, as well as coaching chamber ensembles.

In 2018, she was appointed to fourth horn with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Schaefer has had the privilege of performing with numerous other orchestras, including the Omaha Symphony, Topeka Symphony, Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Civic Orchestra. While living in New York City, she served as principal horn in the Off-Broadway production of A Little Night Music. As a member of Plaza Winds, she performed over 75 concerts and recitals for retirement communities, students and Kansas City community members.

James Sommerville
Boston Symphony Orchestra (Principal Horn)

Benjamin Lieser
University of Central Florida (faculty)

Dr. Benjamin Lieser is both an educator and musician in the Central Florida Area. He currently teaches horn at the University of Central Florida, having previously taught horn at Stetson University and Valdosta State University. He performs with the Brevard Symphony, the Bach Festival Society, the Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Wind Quintet.

Dr. Lieser recently completed a DM in brass performance at Florida State University (’15). His previous degrees were earned at the University of Cincinnati (MM ’01) and Florida State University (BA ’99). He has studied with Michelle Stebleton, Randy Gardner, Duane Duggar, Randall Faust, and William Capps.

Dr. Lieser has performed as a regional artist at the Central Florida Horn Workshops, The Southeast Horn Workshops, and the International Horn Symposiums. Additionally, he has been a featured soloist with the OFUNAM Orchestra in Mexico City.

Jesse McCormick
Cleveland Orchestra (Second Horn)

Jesse McCormick joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2006. He enjoys a distinguished career as an orchestral horn player, soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, including an appearance on the nationally-televised PBS series Live from Lincoln Center. In 2005, Mr. McCormick was awarded the top prize in the Professional Division at the International Horn Competition of America. He has performed as a soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Philharmonic, Denver Brass, Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Springs, and WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble in South Africa.

Mr. McCormick is currently a member of the Factory Seconds Brass Trio, a nationally-renowned group comprised with fellow Cleveland Orchestra members Richard Stout (trombone) and Jack Sutte (trumpet). Factory Seconds performs and records an extensive catalog of contemporary music, and made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2018 with the Baldwin Wallace Symphonic Wind Ensemble. They returned to the famed New York City concert hall the following year with the Interlochen Arts Academy Band.

Before joining The Cleveland Orchestra, Jesse McCormick served as fourth horn with Colorado Symphony and was a member of the Denver Brass. He began his studies with Sally Ann Wilson in Colorado Springs and completed his studies with Jerome Ashby at the Juilliard School. 

Marie Smith, MM ’17
Colby College (faculty)

Marie Smith is an active symphonic and chamber musician. She has been involved in a variety of ensemble settings, including symphony and pit orchestras, wind, horn, and brass ensembles, and wind and brass quintets. Marie is currently teaching at Colby College in Waterville, Maine where she also performs as principal horn in the Colby Symphony Orchestra and Colby Wind Ensemble.

Outside of school ensembles, Marie has performed with the American Festival Orchestra and New American Philharmonic in Utah as well as the Eastern Festival Orchestra in North Carolina. he played in the pit orchestra for the world premiere of South Pass! The Musical in Jackson, WY. Marie has attended multiple summer festivals including the Kent/Blossom Music Festival, Hot Springs Music Festival, Marrowstone Music Festival, and the Eastern Music Festival.

Marie holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music, a Masters of Music degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and a Bachelors of Music degree from Utah State University. Her primary teachers include Professor W. Peter Kurau, Dr. Maria Serkin, Dr. Joseph Falvey, and Steve Park. She has also worked with Maura McCune Corvington, Richard King, Alan DeMattia, Dr. Margaret Tung, Joy Branagan, and Robert Rearden.

Rebekah Daley
North Carolina Symphony (Principal Horn)

Rebekah Daley won her position as Principal Horn of the North Carolina Symphony while pursuing her graduate work at the Shepherd School of Music, studying with William VerMeulen. She previously completed her bachelor’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Jerome Ashby and Jennifer Montone.

Also an avid chamber musician, Daley has spent several summers at the Marlboro Music Festival. Other summer festivals include Twickenhamfest, Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra, Sarasota Summer Music Festival, and Colorado College Festival. She has performed with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Symphony in C in Camden, N.J.

Jeff Nelsen
Canadian Brass

One of the many Canadian pig-farm-raised magician horn players in the world, Jeff Nelsen has thrilled audiences and mentored students for over twenty-five years. Having recently entered his ninth year touring and recording as solo horn with Canadian Brass, Jeff Nelsen has also performed concerti with orchestras on six continents, and in the horn sections of dozens of orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Montreal Symphonies.  One thrilling event last summer was performing in Carnegie Hall as guest principal horn with the Philadelphia Orchestra and fellow Canadian, maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Jeff is Professor of Music (horn) at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he teaches full-time as a horn, chamber music, and performance coach. He is founder of Fearless Performance LLC, a company that focuses on training musicians and entrepreneurs to improve their mental game so they consistently perform their best. In 2011 he gave his celebrated TED Talk on Fearless Performance. A huge Broadway musical fan, Jeff played the complete run of two Broadway shows in NYC that were nominated for Tony awards – “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (Sherman Brothers) and “The Pirate Queen” (Boublil and Schönberg).

Jeff has toured with Michael Bolton and Barry Manilow, has recorded with Michael Buble and the pop band “Barenaked Ladies”, and has performed on dozens of movie and video game soundtracks. Jeff most enjoys performing with his wife, mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen, on recital and orchestral pops series. Jeff was President of the International Horn Society from 2014-16. Jeff performs on his Dieter Otto 180 K-JN (Nelsen Model) horn he co-designed with German horn-maker Martin Ecker, and his mouthpiece he co-designed with Scott Laskey. He publishes a collection of sheet music through his company “Perform Music” and has upcoming releases of online video courses on “Beginner Horn Fundamentals” with The Musician’s Toolkit, and on “How to teach Fearless Performance” with The Royal Conservatory in Toronto.

Seraph Brass

Michelle Baker
Manhattan School of Music (faculty)
Metropolitan Opera (former Second Horn)

Born in Gulfport, Mississipi, Michelle Reed Baker earned her Bachelor of Music from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston – where she studied with Julie Landsman, Nancy Goodearl and Jay Andrus – and her Masters of Music at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of James Chambers.

Michelle was Second Horn at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1990-2017. Prior, she was a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and regular substitute with the New York Philharmonic. Her new life finds her focusing on teaching, free-lancing (Mostly Mozart Orchestra, the newly formed Montclair Orchestra, ProMusica, San Diego Symphony) and spending time with family.

Michelle serves on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, Montclair State University, Mannes College of Music and is an assistant professor at The Juilliard School. She has given master classes at the Texas Music Festival, Boston University, Western Michigan University, Kinhaven, New England Conservatory, California State Long Beach and the University of Delaware. The International Horn Society featured her in its “Ask the Pros” series in 2009. She appears each Summer at Music of the Hill in Rhode Island and at the Round Top Music Festival in in Texas. She has also taught and coached at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Juan Berrios
Dallas Brass

Originally from Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Juan Berríos has enjoyed a multifaceted career as a performer and educator. He has performed in a multitude of musical settings as a soloist and with ensembles ranging from chamber groups and symphony orchestras to big bands and British style brass bands. As a long-time central Florida resident, Berrios performed with the Sarasota Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, Palm Beach Symphony, the Timucua Jazz Orchestra, the Horns & Pipes Brass Ensemble, the Walt Disney World Candlelight Orchestra, and the Nu Deco Ensemble, among others. He has also performed as guest principal with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, shared the stage with many of today’s most notable brass musicians with groups such as the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, and Boston Brass and Brass All-Stars Big Band, and presented countless concerts and educational clinics across the U.S. as a member of the renowned Dallas Brass since 2010. 

A passionate educator, Berrios has worked extensively with students of all ages and levels in many different capacities each year. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida, attended the Music Academy of the West and Aspen Music Festival and School as a fellowship/full scholarship recipient, and received the Master of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. He is proud to be a Hans Hoyer (Buffet Crampon) Performing Artist and thoroughly enjoys making music on his K10 French horn. When not teaching or performing, he enjoys billiards, bowling, traveling, being a foodie, and generally spending time with his wife and fellow musician/music educator, Anielka Silva-Berríos.

Jonathan Carroll, HS ’09
C Street Brass

Hailed by the New York Times for having “impressive confidence”, Jon has been a member of C Street Brass since 2015.  In addition to performing around the country with C Street Brass, Jon is a sought-after performer in New York City. Recent highlights include a Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of “The Music of Danny Elfman” in conjunction with Lincoln Center Festival and performing alongside his first teacher, David Jolley, in the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society.

Jon has performed with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, The West Point Band, and New York Pops. In 2017 Jon was the Associate Principal Horn of the Orquesta Filharmonico de Jalisco, in Guadalajara. Jon was also part of the orchestra that backed up the Grateful Dead on their last tour in 2014. An active Broadway performer as well, Jon has performed in Cinderella, The Lion King, On The Town, The King and I, Honeymoon in Vegas, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Wicked, Carousel, The Phantom of the Opera, and King Kong. 

Jon received his Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School and his Bachelor’s degree from Mannes College. He also attended UNCSA for high school.

Aside from performing Jon is an avid cyclist and skier. Having grown up in the mountains of North Carolina these activities were just as much part of his life as music was. He and his wife are shamelessly committed to raising their two perfect cats, Henry and Luna.

Chris Castellanos

In late 2003, Chris found his passion as a chamber musician after joining the Dallas Brass for a 6 year tenure touring the U.S. and abroad. In 2009 Chris joined the prestigious Boston Brass as Hornist, Arranger and Co-Owner of the group, with whom he presently tours the world with over 180 days per year.  In addition to his duties with the Boston Brass, Chris serves as principal horn of the Sinfonia Salt Lake as well as solo horn of the Las Vegas Jazz Connection and has frequently performed with the Utah Symphony, Ballet West, Nevada Pops, Miami Ballet, Boca Sinfonia and the TAD Wind Symphony (Japan) and is on the International Artist Advisory Council for Mahidol University's College of Music in Thailand.

Katherine Jordan

Katherine Jordan currently serves as fourth horn of the Boston Ballet Orchestra and Associate Principal horn with the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. She also held the second horn position with the Sarasota Orchestra from 2014-2017. Additionally, she has performed with the Delaware Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet. She has also performed at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, the Atlantic Music Festival, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, and the Sarasota Music Festival. Internationally, Katherine has performed in Germany, China, and Korea with Curtis on Tour, in Japan with the New York Symphonic Ensemble, and in Switzerland with the Lucerne Academy Orchestra. Ms. Jordan also performs with the Gotham Wind Quintet, a new ensemble established in 2018.

A dedicated teacher, Katherine held the Music Advancement Program horn fellowship at Juilliard and joined the Interlochen Arts Camp faculty in 2018. Katherine Jordan holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. She resides in Manhattan with husband, William Short, and their fickle cat, Fafner.

Jacob Medlin

As a young horn player, Jacob's development was constantly hobbled by an intense desire for perfection and detail. A product of a family of artists, musicians, crafts men and women, but also engineers, his desire to be both artistically creative and meticulously technical was often at odds.

While this was a hurdle for his horn playing, it was a wonderful combination for horn making. In 2008, Jacob began formal studies with the great natural horn builder Rick Seraphinoff. Over three intense years, Seraphinoff helped channel Jacob's highly technical tendencies into precision craft work while allowing him to explore his creative side in metal working and finishing.

Jacob has degrees in horn performance from the University of North Carolina and Indiana University. A Carolina native, he moved back in 2012 after a spell in the Midwest and a brief stop in Canada. In 2016, Jacob gave up a robust freelance career playing with the North Carolina Theatre, NC Opera, NC Symphony, and DPAC among others, to refocus on horn making full time.

Frank Portone

Frank Portone began playing the horn at age 11. He graduated from The College of Music at Temple University in Philadelphia in 1975 and freelanced in the Philadelphia area from 1972 until 1977, when he won the Principal Horn position with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Portone held that position until 1980. Just five days after returning from Hong Kong with his wife and new baby, he won the Principal Horn position in the Charlotte Symphony. Portone also manages and plays in The Original Carolina Brass and is Adjunct Instructor of horn at Davidson College. He also teaches privately in his home studio.

Scott Strong

In 2014, Scott Strong was named Third Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He was born into a family of musicians in Iowa, and raised in the Dallas, Texas, area. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University, and completed his graduate studies at Rice University before joining the Louisiana Philharmonic. Scott is an active participant in many festivals, and has held positions in the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet orchestras, as well as the San Antonio Symphony. Scott has studied with Gregory Hustis and William VerMeulen.