Albert Houde

Blending a delicate sophistication with an all-out, high-octane approach to performing has earned Albert Houde praise for “standout horn playing” by the Palm Beach Arts Paper and his position as Principal Horn of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared on stages across the United States, performing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, and dozens more ensembles in hundreds of concerts. Equally comfortable in front of the orchestra, Houde has soloed with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and River Cities Symphony, among others, and is scheduled to join the West Virginia Symphony in October for Gliére’s grandiose Concerto for Horn and Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Houde advanced to the semifinals of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and has performed alongside top artists such as Igor Yuzefovich, Concertmaster of the BBC Symphony, and members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Houde holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and The Johns Hopkins University, and will soon complete his DMA candidacy at WVU, learning the art of professorship from Jonas Thoms. He has studied horn with several esteemed teachers, including Richard Deane (Associated Principal, New York Philharmonic), Randy Gardner (former 2nd Horn, Philadelphia Orchestra), and Peter Landgren (former Associate Principal, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra). Houde also studied respiratory function and sound production with David Fedderly, renowned expert on the teachings of Arnold Jacobs, and performance skills with Noa Kageyama, Ph.D., the Juilliard-based performance psychologist and author of The Bulletproof Musician. Houde’s previous appointments include teaching horn at Muskingum University and Marietta College, and he has recently given masterclasses at the University of Maryland, Rutgers University, Ball State University, and West Virginia University.

Houde and his wife, violist and WVU professor Andrea Houde, live in Morgantown, West Virginia with their four children. When he isn’t driving to and from track and band practices, he enjoys chatting about cooking, golf, roadsters, woodworking, and sci-fi. He couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the outstanding faculty at West Virginia University, and he is more proud than ever to be a Mountaineer. Let’s Go!