Podcast
The Horn Signal
Hosted by Bob Reeves Brass · EN
Welcome to The Horn Signal, brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass, where the horn takes center stage. In each episode, you'll hear from acclaimed horn players from around the world as they share their experiences and insights. Discover valuable advice on finding influential teachers, auditioning for college and graduate programs, building a successful career, and excelling in studio recordings. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply a fan of the instrument, The Horn Signal offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration straight from the hearts of the world's finest horn players.
10episodes
Episodes
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Episode #17 - David Cooper
3w ago01:25:01Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features David Cooper, associate principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. About David: David Cooper is recognized as one of the best horn players of his generation, known for his lyrical phrasing and exceptional technique. He was appointed Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic in May 2026 by Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel. Cooper's orchestral career began as Acting Principal Horn with the Victoria Symphony and Co-Associate Principal Horn of the Fort Worth Symphony. He then served as Principal Horn of the Dallas Symphony (joining as Third Horn in 2011 and becoming Principal Horn in 2013), Solo Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic, Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Associate Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has won Principal Horn positions with the National Symphony Orchestra (2013) and the San Francisco Symphony (2023), and has been guest Principal Horn with numerous orchestras worldwide, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico, Liceu Opera in Barcelona, London Symphony Orchestra, Utopia Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He joined the Oslo Philharmonic on its 2024 European Tour as Principal Horn under Chief Conductor Klaus Mäkelä. Cooper maintains an active schedule as an international soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and festival orchestra performer. He has also participated in numerous film and TV soundtracks, including the most recent Superman, Moana 2, Hoppers, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and The Mandalorian and Grogu. Dedicated to inspiring and cultivating the next generation of musicians, Cooper coaches and presents masterclasses internationally. He founded Horns for Hope, Inc., a non-profit supporting young musicians in underserved communities, and served as Artist Faculty at Roosevelt University and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Born in Lansing, Michigan, into a musical family, Cooper began horn studies with Dr. Dale Bartlett and joined the Michigan State University Orchestra while in high school. He received his Bachelor's degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he received a Tanglewood Fellowship, and spent three summers at Marlboro Music Festival. His primary instructors are Jerome Ashby and Eric Ruske. Cooper's discography includes the album "Berkeley, Brahms, Leshnoff: Horn Trios" with violinist Alexander Kerr and pianist Orion Weiss, and two solo albums, "Impressions" and "A French Horn and Piano Collaboration" with pianist Cary Chow. These are available on all streaming platforms.
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Episode #16 - Laura Brenes
May 801:20:14Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features LA/Hollywood Studio Hornist, Laura Brenes. About Laura: French Horn player, Laura Brenes began playing horn when she was 9 years old. She decided to give life as a professional musician a shot after being a part of the "Disney Collegiate All-Star Band" in 1999. After that, she studied with the legendary Vince DeRosa while obtaining her master's degree at the University of Southern California. While still in school, she began performing with local orchestras and various ensembles. She has been able to perform in numerous diverse musical situations. Some highlights include being a part of the orchestra for the academy awards, touring the world with groups including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performing concerts with Danny Elfman at the Coachella music festival, and becoming a Guiness Book of World Records Record holder for being a part of the largest ever orchestra for a hip-hop concert. Over the years, the majority of her work has been in the recording studio where she can be heard on hundreds of soundtracks for all types of media. Among the titles are "Star Wars," "Oppenheimer," "West Side Story (2021)," "Frozen," "The Fablemans," "Turning Red," "Disenchanted," "Jungle Cruise," "Free Guy," "Encanto," "Avatar," "SpongeBob," "Inside Out," and many more. Laura has been solo principal horn for many projects including John Williams' series "Obi Wan (2022)." She released a solo album in 2015 entitled "a Time and a Place" which can be found on all platforms.
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Episode #15 - John Little
Apr 800:57:33Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features John Little, horn soloist, and teacher. About John: John Little has been a touring member of the Starlight Horn Duo, been a featured artist at the Northeast Horn Workshop, a teaching clinician for the Northeast Horn Workshop, performed as a featured soloist at the KMEA, KMTA, Southern Indiana Mozart Festival, with the Jewish Community Orchestra, The Kentuckiana Philharmonic, The Christian Academy of Louisville Wind Ensemble, Featured artist/clinician at the Ohio University Horn Weekend, and most recently at Murray State University, and Campbellsville University, The University of Kentucky, Valdosta State University, The University of Illinois, and The University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory. His latest solo album, Horn Evolution is on the Parma label, and can be heard on tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, and others. His previous release "Hornistic" can be heard on Spotify, and all streaming services. Mr. Little has taught horn at Centre College, the University of Louisville Community Music Program, and has twice been artist in residence at Bellarmine University, as well as being Instructor of horn at Campbellsville University. In 2008 he was awarded the MTNA STaR award for outstanding teaching, and is an MTNA certified Master Teacher. His former students have won positions with the orchestras of Richmond (VA), Louisville, Fort Wayne, Annapolis, Santiago Chile, The Chicago Civic, and a professorship of horn position at Campbellsville University. John Little is a representative of Buffet Crampon USA, and is a Hans Hoyer concert artist, performing on a Meister Hans Hoyer horn, and is a Parma recording artist. He teaches modern horn, hand horn, baroque horn, peak performance, and performance practice.
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Episode #14 - Kaylet Torrez
Mar 1300:53:42Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Kaylet Torrez, of the Pacific Symphony, and studio horn player. About Kaylet: Kaylet Torrez began her musical studies at the age of three through Venezuela's renowned El Sistema program and started studying the horn at age eight. From 2004 to 2014, she was a member of the horn section of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, performing in major concert halls including the Berlin Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, KKL Lucerne, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Teatro alla Scala, among others. In 2014, she was appointed Principal Horn of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. In 2015, she received a full scholarship to study at the Colburn School in Los Angeles with Andrew Bain. Since 2016, Kaylet has performed with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, appearing frequently as a guest principal horn. She has also toured internationally with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pacific Symphony. In 2018, she joined the roster of Hollywood studio musicians and has recorded for major motion pictures including The Lion King, Jumanji, Minions, Bumblebee, Predator, Aquaman, and Terminator, among others. In 2025, Kaylet won the Associate Principal Horn audition with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She continues to appear as a guest principal horn internationally and is regularly invited to perform at festivals and special projects. An active educator, Kaylet has presented masterclasses and educational programs in Los Angeles (including UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music), Mexico City, and Colombia. She currently serves as Assistant Principal Horn of the Pacific Symphony, a position she has held since 2017, and maintains a private studio where she mentors young horn players in orchestral performance, studio work, and audition preparation.
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Episode #13 - Preston Shepard
Jan 2802:12:38Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass and the Colburn School Summer Brass Institute. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Preston Shepard, Los Angeles freelance horn player and podcast host. About Preston Shepard: Preston Shepard is an active free-lance hornist in the Los Angeles area. A student of Joseph Meyer, he studied at Cal State University Northridge and Azusa Pacific University. Preston has performed with the San Diego Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Long Beach Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, San Bernardino Symphony, New West Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Santa Maria Symphony, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, and many others around the Greater Los Angeles area. He has also recorded on numerous feature films, television shows and specials such as Avatar 2, Zootopia 2, Hocus Pocus 2, Aquaman 2, Wish, Encanto : Live at the Hollywood Bowl, The Game Awards, Big City Greens, The Nun, The Boogeyman, Geostorm, Inhumans, The Orville, Blood and Treasure, Homecoming Season 2, Star Trek : Lower Decks, Picard, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Solar Opposites, and Presumed Innocent as well as for video game projects such as Fortnite, Overwatch and League of Legends. He has also recorded on albums for artists such as Avenged Sevenfold and Deadmau5. Preston is the adjunct professor of horn at Westmont College and The Master's University.
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Episode #12 - Audrey Flores
Nov 2601:28:26Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Audrey Flores, NYC freelancer and Broadway horn player. About Audrey: Audrey Flores is a freelancing horn player in New York City. She performs on a Patterson Hornworks Triple Horn. Audrey began playing as a substitute on The Lion King in 2012, and as solo horn on Aladdin in 2015, and held chairs in Tammy Faye in 2024 and Boop! The Musical in 2025. She is the horn player at Paper Mill Playhouse and has also played productions at the Westport Playhouse and at the Delaware Theatre Company. She can be heard on cast album recordings for Boop!, She Has Risen, an all-female concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar, and on the single tracks for Lempicka. Audrey also recorded a self-titled solo album in 2017. Audrey appeared as Principal Horn of the Princeton Symphony and the Reading Symphony during the 2023/2024 season. She was Acting Principal Horn of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio for the 2017-2018 season. Audrey has also played with the New World Symphony, the Miami, the New Jersey Festival Orchestra, the Distinguished Concerts International Orchestra of New York, the Jerusalem Symphony, the American Ballet Theatre, the New York Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. She was a musician in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra in 2019, 2018, 2012 and 2011, and in the New York Spectacular in the summer of 2016. She is also a proud member of Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band in NYC, who recently produced its first album. She has also recorded for the 8-Bit Big Band, and is currently developing a new solo album which will celebrate Sephardic, Spanish, and Mexican music through horn and guitar. Audrey is a passionate advocate for musicians of color in the arts. In addition to mentoring and creating access for musicians of color in NYC through Musicians of Social Equity (MUSE) and Maestra Music, she has been a faculty member of Juilliard MAP since 2021, where she strives to give young underrepresented musicians any resource and benefit they might need to pursue the horn successfully and honestly.
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Episode #11 - Julie Pilant
Oct 2901:33:20Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Julie Pilant, formerly of the Met, now with Utah Symphony. About Julie: Julia Pilant is currently the acting 3rd horn for the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, and a regular guest with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra horn section and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Previously, she was the assistant principal horn for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 14 years and a horn instructor for the Bard College Conservatory of Music for 16 years. Prior to holding those positions, she was the principal horn of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. Ms. Pilant also freelanced for several decades in New York City and performed regularly with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, New York City Ballet, and numerous Broadway shows. She has played principal horn for the Saito Kinen/Ozawa and Tokyo Opera Nomori music festivals, the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan, and has participated in the Santa Fe Chamber, Affinis (Japan), Sarasota, Festival Napa Valley, Classical Tahoe, Strings, Mainly Mozart, and La Jolla Music Society Summerfest music festivals. In 1994 she won the American Horn Competition. As an equally enthusiastic music educator, she has given masterclasses in schools and festivals across the country, including The Juilliard School, USC, Interlochen Arts Camp, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and is a founding member of the recently formed Coalition of Musicians for Ethical Change. Ms. Pilant received her Bachelor's degree from Eastman School of Music (student of Verne Reynolds), and her Master's and Doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School (student of Julie Landsman).
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Episode #10 - Phil Yao
Oct 101:22:04Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Phil Yao, Hollywood studio hornist. About Phil: With over 1,500 credits in film, television and recording, USC graduate Phillip Yao has worked with many of the world's top composers and musicians including John Williams, James Horner, Michael Giacchino and Jerry Goldsmith. He can be heard on recordings showcasing a variety of artists from all genres; Hilary Hahn, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Ray Charles, and Neil Diamond, to name a few. In addition, he has years of orchestral, opera, ballet, and Broadway show experience having been a member of the Pasadena Symphony and playing with the Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon. He and his wife, harpist, Alison Bjorkedal, currently spend time gardening, golfing, and beekeeping. They also enjoy spending time with Phil's 3-year old grandson. Post-playing, Phil has joined the team at Juliani Music Preparation.
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Episode #9 - David Everson
Sep 500:57:48Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Dave Everson, formerly of Detroit Symphony Orchestra and LA studio hornist. About Dave: David Everson, retired Assistant Principal Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, joined the DSO in 1999 after serving as Principal Horn of the Kansas City Symphony for 13 years. A Michigan native and student of Louis Stout at the University of Michigan, he has also performed as guest Principal with ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Everson is active as a studio musician in Los Angeles, where he has recorded more than 150 film scores, and he continues to perform with the Naples Philharmonic and freelance in LA.
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Episode #8 - Gina Gillie
Jul 2301:22:29Tap to summarizeThe Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world. Today's episode features Gina Gillie, hornist, composer and traveler from the Pacific Northwest. About Gina: Dr. Gina Gillie is a sought-after composer, teacher, hornist, and traveler. She formerly held the position of Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University (2008-2024) where she taught horn, composition, ear training, chamber music, music history, music theory, and music appreciation. While all of Gillie's degrees and training are in Horn Performance, she has been an active composer since 2009, and she is frequently commissioned to write music for chamber ensembles that include brass instruments. In 2022, she was the winner of the IWBC Composition Competition with her trombone octet, Mountain Ascent, and in 2025, she was commissioned to write a brass quintet for the IWBC annual conference. In addition to these honors, Gillie's award-winning body of work was recognized in 2023 with Pacific Lutheran University's K.T. Tang Faculty Excellence Award in Research, and her music is performed internationally in countries including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the U.S. Her compositional style incorporates singing melodies, accessible harmonies, and frequent use of counterpoint. Many of her scores are published by Wavefront Music while others are self-published and available in digital format.
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