About The Database

The purpose of this project is to showcase lesser-known works and composers by providing horn players with various "hidden" excerpts.
 
Many players familiarize themselves with numerous standard excerpts (such as those by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven). While these excerpts are standardized and found on audition lists worldwide, it is time to expand the canon and incorporate new excerpts into auditions and educational settings. Most orchestras and ensembles perform music beyond the traditional "classics," thus it is beneficial for musicians to learn excerpts from other pieces.

Horn players can use this database to not only seek new excerpts but to also learn about various composers and compositions. Each excerpt in this database also specifies the skills associated with it, thus players can use these excerpts to refine various techniques.
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This database can also be a valuable tool for orchestras, collegiate ensembles, and other performing groups to select audition excerpts. While it beneficial to see how players perform standard excerpts, it is also crucial to listen to how musicians prepare unfamiliar material, especially if the pieces are soon to be performed. Selecting excerpts specific to an ensemble's repertoire allows committees to hear a player's preparation for their ensemble's audition - not just because they have worked on the material before. ​

Excerpt Categories:

Each excerpt in the database is categorized into one of three groups:

Category 1: Known Composers

These excerpts are from pieces by well-established composers, but are less commonly played and/or have excerpts not found on audition lists. 

Category 2: Historically Underrepresented or Unknown Composers

These excerpts are from compositions by historically underrepresented composers, or by composers who are less known by the general public. 

Category 3: Contemporary Composers

These excerpts are from pieces by modern day composers. 

Special Thanks

I would like to thank Terry Everson, Hazel Dean Davis, and Sarah Ioannides for all of their insight and support for this project!

About the Author:

Maxwell Liber (Max) is a hornist and composer from Libertyville, Illinois. He is a student at Boston University where he is pursuing a Master of Music in Horn Performance. He recently graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Music in French Horn Performance & Music Composition; he also completed a co-major in Arts Management and a minor in Emerging Technologies in Business and Design (ETBD).

His primary horn teachers have been Hazel Dean Davis, Molly Norcross, and Tom Sherwood. While in Boston, Max has performed with the New Philharmonia Orchestra and the New England Film Orchestra. During his graduate studies, he has been a member of Boston University’s Wind Ensemble, Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, and has performed with various chamber groups. He is also currently an ensemble manager for the Boston University Wind Ensemble. 

During his undergraduate studies, he was a part of Miami University’s Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, Steel Band, and top wind quintets. He has also performed and premiered music by renowned composers and has performed on various horn parts.

His primary composition teachers included Per Bloland, Phillip Roberts, Susanna Hancock, and Laura Harrison. He also received third place for the Hill Composition Prize and was one of three composers selected to compose a piece for the school’s orchestra which was recently premiered. 

He is affiliated with the International Horn Society, ASCAP, and Society of Composers, Inc., and is a brother of Phi Mu Alpha and Kappa Kappa Psi.
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Max is interested in both the performance and administrative sides of orchestras and ensembles and hopes to both perform and work administratively in the future. He is also very passionate about new music and finding ways to bridge the gap between frequently played works and works by lesser-known composers.
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​For more information on him and his compositions, please visit his website.