This year's Kendall Betts Horn Camp, held June 15-30 at Camp Ogontz in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, provided even more "bang for the buck" than usual. Participants were treated to the trademark 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio, a faculty that was distinctly international, unforgettable performances at the evening recitals, and, as always, the fabulous meals prepared by the Camp Ogontz staff.

     Most memorable was the excellence of the faculty. Campers interacted with teachers who were not only knowledgeable, exacting, and experienced, but gracious, encouraging and generous with their time. First week recitals included "Natural Horn Nights," which feature an informative and entertaining brief history of the horn presented by Abby Mayer, Hermann Baumann playing the Rondo from Mozart's first horn concerto, Michel Garcin-Marrou performing several natural horn pieces, a natural horn quartet made up Michel Garcin-Marrou, Kendall Betts, Hermann Baumann and Lowell Greer performing the first movement of the Gallay quartet and a performance of the first movement of the Beethoven Sonata, performed on alpenhorn (Dave Krehbiel) with assistance by Michel Garcin-Marrou. Other recitals featured Sören Hermansson performing I Am, Are You? by Marie Samuelsson for horn and tape, Bobby Routch's stunning jazz performance full of brilliant soloing ideas and virtuosic playing, and, of course the unique and unforgettable horn stylings of the inimitable horn innovator, Professor I. M. Gestopftmitscheist, who, in a daring move, performed the first movement of the Hindemith Sonata on natural horn, as well as the recently discovered Kopprasch Sonata and works by Milton Phibbs. "Prof G" provided a kind of encouragement and inspiration to those struggling to make music on the horn that only he could deliver.

     Hermann Baumann began the second week, followed by Lowell Greer performing his unaccompanied composition, The Death of Roland, and the evening concluded with a show-stopping performance of the Strauss Second Horn Concerto by Kendall Betts.  A particularly memorable recital featured a duet with Sören Hermansson and Michel Garcin-Marrou, Marty Hackelman (assisted by pianist-wife Kelly) performing his arrangement of seven songs by Samuel Barber, Roger Kaza (also with this wife-collaborative pianist, Patti Wolf) playing the third movement of the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, Lowell Greer contributing some Mozart, Hermann Baumann performing Saint-Saëns' The Swan and Kendall Betts finishing the evening with the Förster Concerto No. 1.

     Participants of all playing levels ranged in age from 14 to 75 (9 high school and 6 college students on full scholarship courtesy of the KBHC scholarship fund) and came from 25 US states, Canada and China. All campers received warm-up sessions and orchestral excerpt instruction, were coached in solo performance by Bobby Routch, Sören Hermansson, Dave Krehbiel, Michel Garcin-Marrou and Hermann Baumann, and attended Kendall Betts' "horn fundamentals" classes daily. There were opportunities to try out Jim Decker's "virtual orchestra" IVASI system, study ear training, relax in meditation and yoga sessions, discover jazz horn playing with Bobby Routch, natural horn with Michel Garcin-Marrou or Lowell Greer, and rehearse in ensembles. All participants receive two one-hour private lessons with different faculty each week and participate in a variety of performance opportunities.