Horn Concerto, Op. 28

Oliver Knussen, Composer
Mark Wigglesworth, Conductor
Trevor Nuckols, Soloist 
The Juilliard Orchestra

New York Premiere
Alice Tully Hall
New York City, New York

Program Notes:

The wish to compose something for Barry Tuckwell had been somewhere at the back of my mind for almost as long as I can remember. Hence, when I received an invitation form the Suntory Foundation to write a piece for performance in the magnificent acoustic of Suntory Hall, Tokyo, a work for horn and orchestra seemed appropriate, as I imagined that the subtle colour-gradations, wide dynamic range and what might be termed ‘spatial’ characteristics of the horn sound world would be heard to ideal effect in that room (which I knew from having conducted a concert there in 1992). The relationship between the sound of the instrument itself and the space around it is, it seems to me, especially critical in the case of the horn, and this aspect is particularly difficult to reflect accurately in a recording. Thoughts of this nature eventually led to the conception of a predominantly lyrical work which employs a large orchestra (including two sets of timpani) in a very economical manner. The music began as a grateful response to more than thirty years of hearing Barry Tuckwell play and, as I composed it, assumed more and more character of a Nachtmusik (in a Mahlerian sense). My working plan was for two parts, Fantastico (a sonata-allegro) and Adagio (variations on a ground bass), framed and connected by cadenza-like passages. But in the process of composition these designs telescoped unexpectedly, and the result is a single movement, playing for about thirteen minutes in all, in which the interlocked old forms are only vestigial frames for a very allusive piece about aspects of the character of my favourite instrument of all. My Horn Concerto, composed in August and September of 1994, was played for the first time in Suntory Hall, Tokyo on 7th October 1994 by Barry Tuckwell with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra under my direction. The score was revised in October 1995.

© Oliver Knussen

Nuckols Plays Knussen

Oliver Knussen: Horn Concerto, Op. 28 - NY Premiere｜Trevor Nuckols & Juilliard Orchestra (Live)


Trevor Nuckols is an internationally recognised horn soloist whose career includes concerto, chamber, and orchestral appearances at leading halls and festivals in the world’s musical capitals. His repertoire ranges from early Baroque to newly commissioned works, unified by a consistent focus on structural integrity, tonal depth, and fidelity to the score.

He received his early musical training at the Interlochen Arts Academy before earning his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where he was a Kovner Fellow. He pursued postgraduate study at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. His principal teachers include Michael Corcoran, Gene Berger, R. J. Kelley, and Radovan Vlatković. He has held fellowships at the Marlboro Music Festival, Lucerne Festival Academy, Tanglewood Music Center, and Pacific Music Festival.

Mr. Nuckols is the recipient of the International Horn Society’s Barry Tuckwell Award, conferred in recognition of distinguished solo achievement and contributions to the future of the instrument. He is the Gold Medalist of the Vienna International Music Competition and First Prize winner of the International Horn Society’s Premiere Soloist Competition. Additional honours include top awards from the Juilliard Concerto Competition, the Music Academy of the West, and the North International Music Competition.

He has appeared as solo horn with the Münchener Kammerorchester and as an artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has served as guest principal horn with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonie Salzburg, and the Bad Reichenhall Philharmoniker. His playing is noted for its balance of precision and effortless mastery, and he has been praised by The New York Times as “outstanding” and “an excellent soloist.”

A committed advocate for new music, Mr. Nuckols collaborates closely with living composers and incorporates contemporary works into concert programmes alongside core repertoire. He is co-founder of Duo Corgano, a horn and organ ensemble with organist David Ball, whose performances span early repertoire to modern commissions, often presented in architecturally and acoustically significant spaces.

His scholarly work centres on the development of horn playing from the Baroque through the mid-twentieth century, with particular attention to the British, French, Austro-German, and Czech traditions. He maintains a growing private archive of historical horns, manuscripts, recordings, and iconography. He has presented lectures and master classes at Seoul National University, Tokyo College of Music, New York University, and the University of Cartagena.

He performs on a custom B-flat Alexander horn, Ricco Kühn double horn,   and a 19th-century Raoux-Millereau piston horn. His work is grounded in the conviction that the horn, informed by history and shaped by intent and passion, remains one of music’s most eloquent and enduring voices.


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