He is a horn player born in Chicago, Illinois who came from a musical family where his first musical studies were with his father. He was then taught by Frank Brouk who was a horn player at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He took further studies at the Northwestern University before interrupting them to study in Berlin at the Hochscule der Kunste with Gerd Senert who was the principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic. After his return to Northwestern University he studied with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Horn, Dale Clevenger. He studied music, German language and literature and holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music.
He performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as an extra from 1986 and was appointed the position of second horn in 2000 and now serves as chairman of the CSO Members Committee. He was a soloist with the orchestra at the Ravinia Festival in a performance of Konzerstuck by Schumann.
Outside of the CSO he has performed on radio and TV commercials, on ballet productions and on shows staged on Broadway. He has also performed as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Recordings he has performed on include Like a River Victorious by Huntley Brown, Alleluia Song of Gladness and Rejoice in the Lord Vol. 1 by the Cathedral Singers, Live by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, the soundtrack of the film Lincoln by Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Christmas Celebration, Christmas Extraordinaire and Fresh Aire 7 by Mannheim Steamroller and S&M by Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
In the field of musical education he has been a member of the faculty of the School of Music at DePaul University and been a brass instructor at Den Nye Opera Academy in Norway. He has been a judge and performer at international competitions and given many master classes.
He is second from the right here…
Sources:
- https://cso.org/about/performers/cso-musicians/brass/horn/james-smelser/
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/intermission-the-cso-episode-2-james-smelser/
- https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=James%20Smelser
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-smelser-mn0001757169
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2329015-James-Smelser
- https://music.depaul.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-a-z/Pages/james-smelser.aspx