The Department of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, in cooperation with the International Horn Society (IHS) and the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra (CWSO), will host the IHS 2006 Midwest Horn Workshop February 24-26.

The three-day event will feature a variety of recitals, master classes, clinics, horn-related vendor displays and several student compositions. The workshop draws students, avocational players, and professional hornists from the eleven state region as well as players from New York, Kentucky and three European nations.

Kendall Betts, longtime principal hornist for the Minnesota Orchestra, and Lowell Greer, one of the first American hornists to explore the natural or valveless horn, will perform the first night of the workshop on Friday, February 24. The performance will be held in Michelsen Hall of the Noel Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for students.

Jazz Hornist Tom Varner and the UWSP Faculty Jazz Ensemble also will perform on Friday, February 24 at 9:30 p.m. in the Encore of the Dreyfus University Center. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for students.

The American Horn Quartet, hailed as the "finest brass chamber ensemble in the world," will perform with the CWSO on Saturday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m. Both performances will be held in the Sentry Theatre. Preferred seating tickets will be $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and $7 for youth. Regular seating will be $17 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $7 for youth. Tickets are available at the UWSP Box Office, Room 103A University Center, (715) 346-4100 or (800) 838-3378.

The Midwest Horn Workshop Gala Concert will be held Sunday, February 26 at 11 a.m. The event will be held in Michelsen Hall of the NFAC and will be open to the public free of charge.

The workshop is being organized by Patrick Miles, professor of horn at UWSP and director of the CWSO. In addition to planning the workshop events and performances, Miles commissioned the composition of three new works for the event including "Cornucopian Fanfare" for eight horns by Stacey Berk, assistant professor of music at UWSP; "Callings" for horn quartet by Charles Young, professor of music at UWSP; and "Attitudes" for solo horn by Jeffrey Agrell, University of Iowa. Funding for the three commissioned pieces came from the UWSP chapters of Delta Omicron, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the International Horn Society.

The CWSO and the Schneider Family Foundation commissioned a selection, "Curiosities," for ceramic horn and small orchestra. The work will be premiered at the CWSO performances on Saturday and Sunday by CWSO principal hornist Peter Kortenkamp. He will play a ceramic horn made by Dick Schneider, UWSP professor emeritus of art.

For a full listing of events and workshop registration information go to www.uwsp.edu/music/hornworkshop or contact Miles at (715) 346-2027 or pmiles@uwsp.edu.