Episode #5 - Kate Caliendo

Episode #5 - Kate Caliendo

Author: Bob Reeves Brass March 27, 2025 Duration: 1:02:38

The Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world.  Today's episode features Kate Caliendo, 2nd horn of the Jacksonville Symphony.

About Kate:

Kate Caliendo enjoys a diverse musical career of symphonic playing, chamber music, recording, soloing and teaching. She is currently Second Horn of the Jacksonville Symphony and has also held Fourth Horn positions with the Houston Symphony and San Antonio Symphony. She is a frequent guest musician with groups including the Kansas City Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, North Carolina Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic and the Coastal Symphony of Georgia. As a recorded artist, she is featured on projects with the Kansas City Symphony, Rice University Horn Studio and the Houston Symphony, including their 2018 Grammy Award winning live concert performance of Wozzeck. During the summers, Kate performs with the Bellingham Festival of Music in Washington state, and has also been a musician at Festival Mozaic in California and the Tanglewood Music Center. An avid solo musician, she performed as guest soloist with the Charleston Symphony, and in 2011 commissioned and premiered "Vanishing Points, Six Aural Paintings for Low Horn and Piano" by Rice Doctorate composer Stephen Bachicha. A native of New Jersey, Kate began her musical studies with her father, who was her band director. She was a student of Michelle Baker at the Manhattan School of Music and received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in French Horn Performance from Rice University as a student of William VerMeulen. Her other notable teachers  include Dale Clevenger, Julie Landsman, Douglas Lundeen, and Jeff Nelsen.


There’s a particular sound that cuts through an orchestra, capable of both profound warmth and heroic brilliance-the French horn. The Horn Signal is a space dedicated entirely to that voice and the people who master it. Hosted by Bob Reeves Brass, this podcast sits down with acclaimed horn players from across the globe, moving beyond just performance to uncover the real journeys behind the music. Conversations here get into the nitty-gritty: how to seek out those transformative teachers who change everything, what it truly takes to navigate the high-pressure world of college and graduate auditions, and the practicalities of building a lasting career. You’ll also hear candid stories about the unique challenges of studio recording sessions, where every note is captured forever. It’s not just for professionals or students, though; anyone with a love for the instrument’s rich character will find something here. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in a quiet room after a rehearsal, listening as seasoned players share hard-won insights and personal anecdotes. The focus is always on the lived experience, offering a blend of practical advice and deeper reflection you won’t find in a practice room. Tune in to hear the stories behind the sound.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 15

The Horn Signal
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