Mark Almond joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as principal horn, having previously worked as associate principal horn of the San Francisco Symphony, coprincipal horn of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and third horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra, London.
A native of Bolton, England, Almond began his musical education at age nine while playing tenor horn in local brass bands. He studied medicine at Cambridge and Oxford universities, during which time he made his professional debut at 19 with the London Symphony Orchestra.
He holds a doctorate in virology from Imperial College, London, and worked as a respiratory physician in London teaching hospitals before becoming a full-time horn player. His research was recently published in the medical journal Nature.
Almond has appeared as guest principal with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
He is an active chamber musician and has recently performed at the Music@Menlo, Cleveland ChamberFest and Santa Fe Chamber music festivals.
Mark Almond currently teaches horn at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
