Alexander Horton, assistant principal bass: Brahms pointed the way

Name and position: Alexander Horton, assistant principal bass

First season: 2023–24

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Education: Florida State University and Indiana University

Was there a specific moment or experience that led you to becoming a professional musician? 
One of my core musical memories is playing Brahms’ First Symphony at Brevard Music Center in the summer of 2010. It was my first time playing in a symphony orchestra, and I knew within seconds of the first rehearsal that this is what I wanted to do. This symphony is still one of my favorites because the bass line has a uniquely melodic quality throughout. I’m looking forward to performing it for the first time with the CSO this season (Dec. 19-21).

Why did you choose your instrument? 
I started playing the bass in my fifth-grade public school orchestra program. My friend suggested that the two of us should play the bass so we could sit at the back of the class and talk. We did end up doing quite a bit of talking, but I also enjoyed playing. I signed up for orchestra again when I started middle school the following year, and I was lucky to have an inspiring teacher who encouraged me to take private lessons and join my local youth orchestra. 

What is your most memorable CSO performance or experience?  
I’ll never forget my first three weeks with the CSO. We performed some of the most iconic orchestral works: Stravinsky’s Firebird, Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony, Brahms’ Second Symphony and Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition. Our performances here in Chicago and in New York [at Carnegie Hall] were some of the most exciting concerts of my life. 

Offstage, I like to:
One of my favorite hobbies is running. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Chicago over the past year by running different trails across the city. You can usually find me running with the world’s greatest running buddy: my dog Roxie.