MICHAEL HATFIELD
MICHAEL HATFIELD is Professor of Music,
Emeritus and retired Chair of the Brass
Department at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. The Indiana native
studied both trumpet and horn in his youth but also had early ambitions towards a career
in the television industry as a producer or director before enrolling at Indiana
University where he earned both his Bachelor of Science degree as well as the first
Performer's Certificate in Horn ever granted by that institution under the tutelage of
Verne Reynolds. During that time, Mr. Hatfield also studied at the Aspen Music Festival
each summer with Christopher Leuba and Philip Farkas.
Upon graduation in 1958, he joined the Indianapolis Symphony as assistant principal horn and the following season moved to third horn of that ensemble where he performed until 1961 when he was appointed principal horn of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a position he would hold for the next 23 years. While in Cincinnati, Mr. Hatfield also served as Adjunct Professor and Chair of the Brass, Woodwind and Percussion Division at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati and was a member of the Cincinnati Woodwind Quintet with his principal colleagues from the Cincinnati Symphony. Summers also led him to return to Aspen where he played second horn to Philip Farkas in the Aspen Festival Orchestra from 1960 - 68 and in 1972, he became co principal of that orchestra and joined the faculty of the Festival, positions he would hold until 1989.
Mr. Hatfield has since held summer positions as principal horn of the Santa Fe Opera and as a faculty member of the Grand Teton Festival Institute as well as performing with the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra. Mr. Hatfield joined the faculty at Indiana University in 1984, replacing his mentor, the legendary Philip Farkas, upon his retirement.
He has been a guest artist at the International Horn Society workshops in 1983 and 1985 and has lectured at many other regional and international IHS workshops, the most recent being the 1998 Midwest Regional and Southwest Horn Workshops. Mr. Hatfield now serves on the Advisory Council of the IHS. In 2000, he was elected to the Board of Directors of Cormont Music where he offers indispensable input into the planning and execution of KBHC and the scholarship program.
Mr. Hatfield has served on the faculty of KBHC since 1998. It will be an honor to welcome him back for the entire two weeks in 2007.