Orchestral Excerpt Insights: David Cooper

In this video, David Cooper, principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, walks viewers through the techniques he uses to practice the opening solo from Richard Strauss’ iconic tone poem Ein Heldenleben. And when it comes time to play this piece for an audition, what’s his advice? Trust that the committee is rooting for you. “While the review panel might seem scary behind the curtain, we're your greatest champions," Cooper says. "We want to hear you succeed, because there's no greater feeling than hearing a piece that we love played really well.”

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