James Sommerville, horn

Horn player James Sommerville is Principal Horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The winner of the highest prizes at the Munich, Toulon, and CBC competitions, Mr. Sommerville has pursued a solo career that has spanned 25 years, and has brought critically acclaimed appearances with major orchestras throughout North America and Europe. His disc of the Mozart Horn Concertos with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Recording in Canada. Other award-winning CBC recordings include Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, andStrings and Canticle. Mr. Sommerville has recorded chamber music for the Deutsche Gramophon, Telarc, CBC, Summit, and Marquis labels. He is a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, with whom he tours regularly. Mr. Sommerville previously played with the Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and as acting solo horn of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; he has toured and recorded extensively as an orchestral player. He is heard regularly on the CBC network, and has recorded the entire standard horn repertoire for broadcast. As a guest artist and faculty member, Mr. Sommerville has performed at many chamber music festivals throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Recent solo performances of note include the world premiere of Christos Hatzis’ Winter Solstice, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territory; the North American premiere of Ligeti’s Hamburg Concerto with the BSO; and the John Williams Horn Concerto. In 2007 and 2008, Mr. Sommerville appeared as a soloist in London (with the Academy of St. Martin’s in the Fields), and in Costa Rica, Holland, Quebec, Ottawa, and Italy. Last season saw the world premiere of Elliot Carter’s Horn Concerto, commissioned for him by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Sommerville also tours as a member of Osvaldo Golijov’s Andalucian Dogs. In addition to performing as a horn player, Mr. Sommerville is also the Artistic Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, in Canada, and maintains an active guest-conducting schedule. Mr. Sommerville teaches at the Longy School of Music and New England Conservatory.