He is a horn player born in Minneapolis, Minnesota who trained as a musician while young at high school and his local community orchestra. He was a player in a local horn club and while studying for his Bachelor of Music Education degree at the University of Florida and Florida State University performed in several horn ensembles and quartets.
After becoming a professional horn player he became a member of the Florida Orchestra before travelling to the Middle East and Europe to perform in several orchestras and quartets in Israel, Italy and Germany. As an orchestral musician he was a member of the Orchester Der Beethovenhalle Bonn from 1986 for over 30 years before retiring.
He successfully auditioned for the American Horn Quartet in 1989, who he performed with, toured worldwide with and recorded with for 26 years.
Some of the other orchestras and ensembles he has performed with include the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Concentus Musicus Wien, Gelsenkirchen Philharmonic, Israel Sinfonietta, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Musica Antiqua Koln, Polish Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Horns and Sinforna Varsovia.
Recordings he has performed on include 4×4, En-Cor!, The Christmas Album, Im Herbst and Myths & Legends by American Horn Quartet, Haydn – Symphonies No. 6-8 by Concentus Musicus Wien, Telemann – Tafelmusik, Johann David Heinchen – Dresden Concerti, Hasse – Salve Regina and Concerti “Per L’Orchestra Di Dresda” by Musica Antiqua Koln and Antonin Dvorak – Bagatelles Op. 47/Serenade in D Minor Op. 44 by Orchester Der Beethovenhalle Bonn.
Musica Antiqua Recordings
Concerto for 2 Flutes and Orchestra in G Major (Johann Joachim Quantz)
Archiv 447 644 (CD: Concerti ‘pour l’orchestra di Dresda’)
He performs here….
Sources:
- https://www.hornsociety.org/295-newsletter/1138-interview-of-the-month-charles-putnam
- https://www.naxos.com/person/American_Horn_Quartet/33115.htm
- https://www.hornquartet.com/about-the-ahq
- https://www.naxoslicensing.com/track/NDMxMTQwNC04MDM1YTQ/
- https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Charles%20Putnam