All-Star List To Compose Jazz French Horn Concerto For New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Updated on June 30, 2021: New performance dates have been added to the calendar for 2022.

We don’t often think of the french horn as a major jazz instrument, but thanks to pioneers such as Julius Watkins, John Graas, and Gunther Schuller, the french horn was able to make its mark in the jazz idiom. Now we have the names of John Clark, Tom Varner, Arkady Shilkloper, and many others who are continuing the movement of jazz french horn. We are also seeing a trend of merging the jazz and classical styles into one wonderful project.

Earlier this year, we published an article about Chick Corea writing a trombone concerto for Joseph Alessi and the New York Philharmonic. Now, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra has announced that its 2020-2021 season will include the world premiere of a jazz french horn concerto. Possibly the first of its kind, this NJSO commission will be a very unique and exciting composition as not one, but four jazz composers will be involved in the work:

• Paquito D’Rivera: Cuban-born American (and New Jersey resident) woodwind specialist and composer with 14 Grammy Awards to his name.
• Vivian Li: London-based composer/mandolinist in the classical, bluegrass, and jazz styles.
• Christian McBride: Jazz bassist/composer with 6 Grammy Awards and the Artistic Advisor for Jazz Programming at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
• Gary Morgan: New York-based instrumentalist/composer and leader of the PanAmericana Latin Jazz Orchestra.

The soloist for this groundbreaking work will be Chris Komer, Principal Horn of the NJSO. Komer is one of the most versatile horn players in the New York/New Jersey area as his resume includes performances and/or recordings with the New York Philharmonic, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, and J.J. Johnson, in addition to 16 major motion pictures, and numerous Broadway shows.

Also featured on the two nights of performances will be a newly commissioned work by Daniel Bernard Roumain, The American Rhapsody by Aaron Dworkin/Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

For performance details, please click the links below.

(World Premiere) June 11, 2022 – Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, New Jersey

June 12, 2022 – New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, New Jersey