Jeff Nelsen

Jeff Nelsen (born December 11, 1969) is a Canadian French horn player. He is also a solo horn in the Canadian Brass and a professor of horn at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. He has performed in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic.

Biography

Nelsen studied music at McGill University in Montreal. While at university, he won an audition for an orchestral spot, subsequently leaving school to take the position as fourth horn in the Winnipeg Symphony. The following year, he won an audition for fourth horn in the Montreal Symphony.

Nelsen has toured and recorded on and off for almost 20 years with Canadian Brass. He has performed recitals and concerti with orchestras in North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. He was recruited to Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, where he currently teaches.

Nelsen created a workshop called Fearless Performance, where he addresses common anxieties performing musicians face. Nelsen shared this seminar as part of a TEDx Talk. He has performed as a part of the orchestra for two Broadway shows (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and "The Pirate Queen"), toured with Michael Bolton and Barry Manilow, and performed in the Balkan Gypsy funk band of Slavic Soul Party. Nelsen has joined the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Discography selections

Brahms Horn Trio: Op. 40 w/Mozart Horn Quintet, adapted for Horn Trio by Tony Rickard 2010, Opening Day Records The Planets with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Paavo Järvi, conductor 2009, Telarc Pirate Queen, Original Broadway Cast Recording 2007, Sony Classics Failure to Launch 2006, Paramount Pictures Lucky Number Slevin 2006, Capitol Films Stan Kenton Christmas Carols - Boston Brass and Friends 2006, Summit Classical Stealth 2003, Hal Leonard DVD Elizabeth Rex Soundtrack 2003, Rhombus Media I Found Love Denzal Sinclaire 2002, Blue Note Records Pitch Black 2000, Interscope Communications Pictures The Bride of Chucky 1998, Midwinter Productions, Inc. Air Bud 1997, Walt Disney Pictures Berlioz Requiem Montréal Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit, conductor 1995, London/Decca Bartók Concerto for Orchestra Montréal Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit, conductor 1994, London/Decca DVD

Recordings with Canadian Brass Stars and Stripes- Canadian Brass Salute America 2010, Opening Day Records Echo; Glory of Gabrieli 2009, Opening Day Records Swing That Music 2009, Opening Day Records Legends 2008, Opening Day Records Bach 2008, Opening Day Records High Society 2007, Opening Day Records Christmas Tradition 2007, Opening Day Records And So It Goes, Giles Tomkins 2006, Opening Day Records Magic Horn 2004, Opening Day Records Amazing Brass 2002, Opening Day Records Holidays with Canadian Brass 2000, Opening Day Records