American Horn Quartet

Although Kerry Turner’s works have been performed by musicians all over the world, it is his performances with the world renowned American Horn Quartet which have certainly given his music the greatest international exposure. Writing for horn quartet is a challenging venture. Over his many years of collaboration with the AHQ, who have executed his intricate and exciting music with incredible precision and artistry, Kerry has perfected the art of composing for this ensemble, indeed raising the standard of composition for horn ensembles in general.

Entering its twenty-eighth season, the American Horn Quartet continues to be unique in the field of brass chamber music. Their exuberant performances have brought audiences all over the world to their feet. In 1982, four American horn players who were working and residing in Europe met for the first time to explore the potential of the horn quartet, a chamber music formation with a much longer tradition than most people realize. Mastering the already existing repertoire, they then began to compose and arrange, as well as commission new works for the horn quartet. The individual members of the AHQ are all very successful soloists in their own right, having won top international competitions in Geneva, Prague, New York, Passau and Munich. It comes then as no surprise that together they brought home top honors at chamber music competitions in Barcs, Hungary (Philip Jones Competition), Brussels and Tokyo.

Over the past twenty years, besides being featured at horn and brass festivals around the globe, the American Horn Quartet has established itself at regular chamber music concert series on the international circuit. They have also appeared as soloists with numerous symphony orchestras, among them the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Illinois Philharmonic, the Philharmonica Hungarica, the Brabants Orchestra of Eindhoven and the Bordeaux Aquitaine Symphony Orchestra in France, just to name a few.

Some of the highlights of the AHQ career include their performance on stage at the Barbican in London, an appearance with orchestra at the world famous Tonhalle in Zürich, a recording collaboration with the horn section of the New York Philharmonic, a recital in Melbourne, Australia featuring the great horn soloist Barry Tuckwell in a cameo appearance, performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and a five-minute standing ovation at the 20th International Horn Society Workshop in Tallahassee, Florida.

Virtuoso Horn Duo

The Virtuoso Horn Duo, Kerry Turner and Kristina Mascher, began performing in 2002. These two highly accomplished horn players began studying, perfecting and performing the existing repertoire for two horns, putting a particular emphasis on the concertos with orchestra, many of which were written by very well known composers, such as Haydn, Vivaldi and Telemann.

After performing at the Britain in Luxembourg Exhibition in 2002 , the Deputy Head of Mission wrote, “Exhibitors were unanimous in praising the animation you helped to provide. The only complaint was that they would have liked even more.”

Shortly thereafter, Kristina and Kerry presented a recital and master class at the University of Prague and at further venues in Luxembourg. They traveled extensively, giving concerts to enthusiastic audiences in Valencia, Spain at the International Horn Society’s Annual Workshop, the 2nd Australian Brass Festival in Melbourne, Australia, at the Academy of Music in Singapore, and at the Festival of Nations in Rome. The VHD has also performed in the Southwestern United States (including AIR Horns in Arizona) and Chemnitz, Germany. They have presented concerts and master classes at Virginia Commonwealth University, for the USAF Heritage of America Band, have been featured guest artists at the 2nd Hungarian Horn Festival in Mor as well as at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. They have also appeared as soloists with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and various orchestras around Poland. In 2006 Mr. Turner and Ms. Mascher recorded a CD of concertos for 2 horns and chamber orchestra with the Sinfonietta Cracovia for the MSR Classics label. They recently completed a highly successful tour of the United States as the Virtuoso Horn Duo and Friends with tubist Kyle Turner and pianist Lauretta Bloomer. Most recently, the VHD were artists in residence at the Beijing Conservatory as part of the 2nd China Horn Festival.

The Virtuoso Horn Duo offers a program of highly melodic, sometimes traditional and often technically dazzling horn playing, combined with world class artistry and execution.

Kerry Turner

is certainly no new-comer to the international touring circuit. As a member of the world-renowned American Horn Quartet, Bronze Medalist at the Prague Spring International Music Competition, and member of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, he has performed as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician all over the world. He has appeared as soloist with, among others, the Orchestra of Radio-Tele-Luxemburg, Saarbrucken Radio Orchestra, South-West German Philharmonie, Munich Bach Orchestra and Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt and the U.S. Air Force Band. With the AHQ he has performed with the Sinfonia Varsovia in Warsaw, the Royal Philharmonic of Stockholm, the Symphony Orchestra of Bordeaux, Beethovenhalle Orchestra Bonn, Moscow Radio Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic and the Birmingham Symphony, just to name only a few. He has also recorded extensively. The Horn Call magazine dubbed Kerry “a remarkable individual. Not only is his hornistry of world class level, but also his compositional skills are wonderful….a fantastic musician who just happens to play the horn” (Dressler, Horn Call 5/04).

Kristina Mascher

former principal horn of the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra (Flemish Radio Orchestra), hails from Albany, Oregon and currently resides in Luxembourg. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Douglas Hill) and the Hanns Eisler Conservatory, Berlin (Kurt Palm,) and also studied with Fergus McWilliam. Early in her career, she was engaged in various chamber and symphony orchestras, including the Odense Symfoniorkester in Denmark, three tours as principal horn with the Gustav-Mahler-Jugendorchester under the direction of Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, and Kent Nagano, and the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to being the newest member of the American Horn Quartet, Kristina is a member of the Ni Ensemble of Luxembourg (First prizewinners at the 9th International Passau Competition) and forms with husband Kerry Turner the Virtuoso Horn Duo. Their critically acclaimed CD of works for two horns and chamber orchestra can be found on the MSR Classics label. She also performs on a regular basis with the renowned Ictus Ensemble of Brussels. Ms. Mascher has given master classes and performed in over 30 countries on six continents. Horn aside, Kristina sings soprano in various vocal ensembles, is a practicing Reiki master, enthusiastic world traveler, and dedicated foodie.

Repertoire with Orchestra:

• Concerto in Eb for Two Horns and Orchestra/ Franz Joseph Haydn
• Concerto in Eb no.III for Two Horns and Orchestra/ Anton Rosetti
• Concerto in D major Two Horns and Orchestra/ Georg Phillip Telemann
• Concerto in D major Two Horns and Orchestra/ Antonio Vivaldi
• Concerto No.II “L’Estro Armonico”/
• Antonio Vivaldi
• Brandenburg Concerto Nr. 1/ J. S. Bach
• Divertimento for 2 Horns and Orchestra/ J. W. Kalliwoda
• Concerto Grosso in d minor for 2 Violins and Orchestra(adaptation)/Antonio Vivaldi
• Twas a Dark and Stormy Night (orchestra version)/ Kerry Turner
• Fantasia Concertante/ Bernhard Krol

Recital Repertoire (selection):

• 6 Grand Duets/ Otto Nicolai
• 6 Duos/ Louis Dauprat
• 12 Duets/ W. A. Mozart
• 4 Duos/ Kerry Turner
• African Impressions/ Paul Basler
• 6 Grand Duos/ Franz Duvernoy
• All the Things You Are (with piano)/ Kern/ Hammerstein
• Siciliana/ J. S. Bach
• Two Part Inventions/ J. S. Bach
• Twas a Dark and Stormy Night (with piano)/ Kerry Turner

Lauretta Bloomer

the pianist with the Virtuoso Horn Duo, was born in Oxford, England and studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Y. Solomon. Lauretta specializes in chamber music and received a special invitation to study this discipline with H. Medjimorec and G. Ebert in Vienna. During her busy career, she has performed with such soloists as Bruno Pasquier and Franz Helmerson, and has worked with ensembles in North America and Europe. She forms a regular duo with violist Michael Gieler and is a member of the Immanuel Horn Trio of Amsterdam. Lauretta was invited to perform at the School of Fine Arts in Banff, Canada and was special guest at the first International Course for Contemporary Music in Siguenza, Spain. Ms. Bloomer moved to Holland in 1993 where she works as a repetiteur with the Netherlands Opera Center. Lauretta has recently completed a recording and been featured in a documentary for Irish television performing works by Clara Schumann, on Clara Schumann’s piano, in period costume. She has also collaborated with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, and the Dutch Radio Orchestra, and is a much sought-after chamber music partner in the Benelux area as well as the United Kingdom.

Contact Information and Bookings:

Kerry Turner / Kristina Mascher
4, Rue du Kiem
L-8030 Strassen
Luxembourg
Tel/Fax: (+352) 2644 0637
kdturner@pt.lu / horngoddess@gmail.com