RESOURCES
Horn Area
Prof. Seraphinoff's Current Horn Students
If you would like to see a student's biography, please either click on their name or scroll down to the bottom of this page.
Valved Horn
Undergraduates
- Burke Anderson: BM
- Layne Anspach: BM
- Emily Kinnunen: BME
- Dylan Marshall: BME
- Zachary Quortrup: BM
- Laurel Roseborrough: BM
- Blair Sordetto: BSOF
Graduates
- Tracy Bass: MM
- Jason Chilson: MM
- Jacob Medlin: MM
- Kristen McGuire: MM
Natural Horn
Undergraduates
- Jesse Clevenger
- Andrew Dorrell
- Zach Quortrup
Graduates
Biographies
Undergraduates
Layne Anspach is from Elkhart, Indiana. He has been principal of the Elkhart Central High School Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra all four years of attendance. He has also been privileged to play in the Elkhart County Youth Honors Orchestra for five years. Layne was selected to perform with the Indiana All-State Band in 2009 and 2010, the Indiana All-State Honor Band in 2011 as Principal, and the Indiana All-State Orchestra in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, Layne won the Elkhart County Symphony's Concerto Competition in which he performed the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto #1, Allegro. He has been critiqued by Bernhard Scully as a result of winning the 2011 Western Michigan University's Horn Day Solo Competition. Layne has received the John Phillip Sousa award from his high school twice. In his free time, Layne enjoys playing bass guitar and sports. Layne will be pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Horn Performance and is thrilled to be studying with Professor Seraphinoff.
Jesse Clevenger is a Junior attending the Jacobs School of Music for Horn Performance. Before coming here, he played with the Midwest Young Artists Youth Symphony and Chicago Youth Symphony. The New Trier High School Bands and Orchestras were also crucial parts of his musical training. Jesse has attended a number of All State Band festivals as well as touring through several countries in South America with the Chicago Youth Symphony. Since arriving at Indiana University, Jesse has continued to love the performance of orchestral and chamber music. He aspires to work in any one of the great symphonies around the world. Recently, Jesse had the privilege and pleasure of performing several concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as an extra. Jesse enjoys camping and climbing in the Olympic Mountain Ranges of Washington State, watching lots of movies, reading books, cooking, and being with his wonderful friends.
jessclev@indiana.edu
My name is Andrew Dorrell, and I've lived in central Indiana all my life. I have a deep interest in the indie and instrumental rock scene. I also love indie and foreign films. When I'm not playing or listening to music I like reading and studying political philosophy and economics. I loved my HS marching band and played in the Dayton (OH) Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. My family has an IU tradition. All my siblings graduated from IU and we're big Indiana basketball and Bobby Knight fans. If you know who Efrim Menuck or Ayn Rand is, we'll probably be fast friends. Someday I want to live in Montreal or Austin, Texas. But Indiana will always be my home.
andorrel@indiana.edu
Emily Kinnunen, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will be a freshman at IU this fall and will pursue a degree in Music Education. She attended Gateway High School and performed as principal horn in the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Orchestra. While in High School, Emily participated in the River City Youth Brass Band and Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra, serving as principal horn in her junior and senior years. Emily has also performed with the Musicians Concert Band and the Pittsburgh Horn Club. In 2010 and 2011, Emily won the WYSO Concerto Competition. Emily was selected to perform with the PMEA All-State and Honors ensembles from 2008-2011 and the 2009 Macy’s Great American Marching Band on Thanksgiving Day in NYC. She has danced for 16 years and was an active member on her school’s National History Day Team, placing ninth in the nation for her senior project. Outside of Horn, Emily enjoys watching DCI shows, the Pittsburgh Steelers, spending time with her closest friends, and playing with her puppy, Mickey.
Dylan Marshall is a music education major, with a large personal focus in performance. He has been principal horn of the Seekonk High School Concert, Pep, and Jazz bands all 4 years of attendance. In addition, he was accepted into Southeastern Massachusetts's Senior District Festival all four years of high school, obtaining the positions of principal in band as well as orchestra. In his junior and senior year of high school, he was accepted into the Massachusetts All-State Festival and had the opportunity to play in Boston's Symphony Hall. This past year he was principal horn of the Massachusetts All-State Band. Throughout the years he has played in many local festivals at places such as Providence College and Rhode Island College of Fine Arts. Dylan has also played in many year round ensembles. He has been principal horn of the Rhode Island Youth Senior Wind Ensemble for the past three years, as well as principal and 3rd horn of the Rhode Island Youth Symphony Orchestra. Throughout 2009-2010 he was involved in many semi-professional organizations including the Fall River Symphony, the Marion Band, and the Tri-County Symphonic Band, in which he was principal horn. For the summers of 2008 and 2009 Dylan attended the Interlochen Summer program. In 2008 he played in the World Youth Wind Symphony under esteemed directors and composers such as Jerry Junkin and Frank Ticheli. In the summer of 2009 he played 2nd horn in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. In his final year of High School, Dylan Marshall was involved in ensembles at New England Conservatory in Boston including the Youth Brass Ensemble, under the direction of horn player Eli Epstein, as well as the prestigious Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Grammy nominated Benjamin Zander. He is currently a student of Myron Bloom. Dylan enjoys other activities such as hanging out with friends, playing pool, bowling, and waterskiing.
Laurel Roseborrough is from Southlake, Texas, where she has lived her entire life up until her move to Indiana. She was a member of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra program from 2006 to 2010. In 2009, Laurel won the GDYO Concerto Competition with the performance of “Konzertstuck for four horns” by Schumann. She performed this live on the classical music radio station “WRR 101.1," in addition to performing it live in concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Laurel has also been a member of the TMEA All-State Philharmonic Orchestra and the TMEA All-State Symphonic Band.
Upon entering IU, Laurel was named a Barbara and David Jacobs Scholar. During her first year, she had the opportunity to play in many different ensembles, including (but not limited to) Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Brass Choir, and Freshman Horn Choir. Laurel will be a sophomore at IU this fall and is pursuing a BM in Horn Performance.
Aside from horn, Laurel loves writing, watching movies, and petting baby animals.
Blair Sordetto is a senior at Indiana University studying Horn Performance and Arts Administration. She is originally from Seattle, WA where she was a member of a Japanese drum group called Seattle Matsuri Taiko for seven years. She also enjoyed performing with the Seattle Youth Symphony orchestra for several years. Blair has been a member of Washington's All State and All Northwest Bands and Orchestras and competed and placed in several local and state solo and ensemble contests. Besides classical music, she also enjoys classic rock and Earth Wind and Fire. She spent the summer interning in the administration of the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera companies. In her free time, she enjoys socializing with friends, attending opera and symphony concerts, eating at different ethnic restaurants, and drinking Starbucks.
bsordett@indiana.edu
Graduates
Tracy Bass is originally from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina and is a 2010 graduate of Appalachian State University where he earned a bachelors degree in Music Performance. At Appalachian State University, Tracy was fortunate to be a member of the Appalachian State University Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Marching Band, Collegium Musicum, Horn Choir, Brass Choir, and many other various chamber ensembles. His primary teacher at Appalachian was Karen L. Robertson and he has also studied with John McGuire, Allison Kiesler, Anneka Zuehlike, and William Scharnberg.
Tracy is a current member of the International Horn Society and has attended the 2008 and 2009 International Horn Symposiums, as well as the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Southeast Horn Workshops. Outside of music, Tracy enjoys spending his free time outside hiking, running, hammocking, and canoeing. He is very excited to begin his studies this fall at Indiana University pursuing his Master’s Degree in Music Performance and can’t wait to see what his future has in store for him.
tjbass@umail.iu.edu
Jason Chilson began playing the French horn when he was 14 years old in the small town of Challis, Idaho. In less than two years of playing the horn he was already playing at the state level and during his senior year of high school placed 1st at the Idaho state concerto competition. He has also performed with many state and national level bands including the Idaho State University Honor Band, Idaho All-State Band, the National FFA Band, and the Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus.
After graduating from high school in 2006 Jason continued with his musical education at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho majoring in music performance. He performed with many different bands and ensembles during his time at the University of Idaho such as the U of I Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra which he sat principle from 2007-2011, the U of I Wind Quintet, U of I Horn Ensemble, U of I Brass Choir, and the Idaho Composers Ensemble which is a jazz dectet made up of various non-traditional jazz instruments which its members compose original compositions for the group to perform. He also performed at the Collegiate Band Directors National Association Conference West/Northwest division as co-principle. And during the 2010-2011 season played third horn for the Washington-Idaho Symphony. Jason has also performed at many concerto competitions throughout his college career including the U of I Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Coeur D’ Alene Symphony Concerto Competition making it into the finals multiple times.
Even though Jason was an involved musician he still found time to be an active member in the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. He has held many positions within his fraternity including Awards Chairman, Housing Chairman, Alumni Relations Chairman, Secretary, and Vice President. He was also the President of the U of I chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Jason is currently working towards his master’s degree in music performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Julie Gerhardt earned a bachelors degree in instrumental music education from Indiana University in 2001. During her time at IU, she also performed for two summers as part of Star of Indiana's Brass Theater and for one summer as part of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps.
After graduation, Julie taught middle school band in Kennesaw, Georgia, served as a clinician for many bands in the Atlanta area, was on the staffs of several area marching bands, and taught at a number of middle school band camps. She also maintained a private studio of horn students who achieved high levels of success in Solo/Ensemble Festival, District Honor Band, and All-State Band.
During this time, Julie freelanced in the Atlanta area, filled a one-year substitute position with the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra, and was a member for five years of the Cobb Wind Symphony, performing with the CWS at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2003. She was also a member of Star United, the DCA mini-corps affiliated with the Star Alumni Association, in 2006 and 2007.
Julie completed her master of arts degree in music studies at the University of New Hampshire in 2010, and has served on the staff of the Kendall Betts' Horn Camp since 2009.
Julie's primary teachers include Richard Deane, Michael Hatfield, Myron Bloom, Dr. Jean Martin-Williams, Kendall Betts, Jeff Nelsen, and Rick Seraphinoff.
jgerhard@indiana.edu
Kristen McGuire is a graduate of Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant MI, where she received her Bachelors in Music Education in May 2010. Kristen will begin her Master of Music in Horn Performance at Indiana University-Bloomington in Dr. Seraphinoff's studio this fall.
Kristen has previously played in the Central Michigan University Marching Band, Symphony Band, Wind Symphony, and Wind Ensemble. She has also participated in the CMU horn choir where she was a guest conductor. Kristen has played with the Saginaw Symphony Orchestra and the Grand Valley State University Orchestra. She has played principle horn with the CMU Symphony Orchestra, East Shore Wind Symphony and various small ensembles. Kristen has been actively involved in Delta Omicron, a professional music fraternity, for the past five years.
Kristen is looking forward to the new opportunities and experiences that will be offered to her as she begins her master's degree at the Jacob School of Music at Indiana University this fall.
Jenny Smoak is a first-year Performer Diploma student studying modern horn with Jeff Nelsen and natural horn with Richard Seraphinoff. Having just completed her Bachelor's Degree in May 2011 with Jeff, she is returning (and excited) for another year here at IU! While at IU, Jenny has performed with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic for 2 years on their sublist along with participating in a number of ensembles including Indiana University’s Philharmonic, Chamber, Festival, Concert, Symphony, and Baroque Orchestras, Symphonic Band, Horn Choir, Brass Choir, and other various chamber ensembles. A native of Raleigh, NC, Jenny performed for 4 years with the nationally award-winning British style Triangle Youth Brass Band, playing the Eb Tenor Horn. Recently, Jenny has attended Jeff Nelsen’s Fearless Performance for Musicians Seminar, Chautauqua Summer Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, the Raphael Mendez Brass Institute, and the International Horn Society Symposium over the summers. Having studied abroad in Vienna, Austria in the Fall of 2009, Jenny studied horn with Wolfgang Vladar (Vienna Philharmonic) and traveled around Europe meeting and hearing glorious musicians from all over the world! Outside of playing the horn, Jenny has been named a “Founders Scholar” by Indiana University (2009) and is also an avid participant and leader in Cancer Awareness community events throughout Bloomington. She loves photography, dogs, baking cakes, reading, drinking hot chocolate, and learning something new everyday!
jrsmoak@gmail.com
