ARTIST FACULTY

2025 GUEST ARTIST FACULTY

Ryan Little

Hailed by Montreal’s La Presse as “nuanced and singing,” Ryan Little was appointed as Principal Horn of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2023 by Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann. Born in Burke, Virginia to a musical family, he began studying piano at age 3 before switching to viola, trumpet, and eventually to horn at the age of 10. Ryan received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in 2015 where he studied with Gail Williams and Jonathan Boen. In 2017 he received his Master of Music degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where he studied with William VerMeulen of the Houston Symphony.

In addition to his responsibilities in Atlanta, Ryan performs as the Principal Horn at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina. He has performed as Guest Principal Horn with the orchestras of Cincinnati, Frankfurt Radio, Minnesota, National Arts Centre, Orlando, Palm Beach, San Francisco, Sarasota, Vancouver, and WDR Cologne, and has also performed with the Chicago Arts Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Florida Grand Opera, Florida Orchestra, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Nu Deco Ensemble, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony. He won Second Prize and the Gretchen Snedeker Prize at the 2013 International Horn Competition of America. In 2014, he was selected as a finalist for the International Horn Society’s Premier Soloist Competition in London, England and at the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments in Dusseldorf, Germany. As a concert soloist, he has performed with the Florida Gulf Coast University Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Northwestern University’s Baroque Music Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, l’Orchestre de la Francophonie (Montreal), and the Skokie Valley Symphony.

During the summers Ryan has performed at the Britt Music & Arts Festival, Grant Park Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, and Sun Valley Music Festival. He also participated as a fellow in the Castleton Festival, Lucerne Festival Academy, National Orchestral Institute + Festival, l’Orchestre de la Francophonie, Spoleto Festival USA, Tanglewood Music Center, Verbier Festival, and YOA Orchestra of the Americas. Ryan performs on instruments made in 2012 and 2022 by Karl Hill of Rockford, Michigan.

Scott Leger

From Houston, TX, Scott Schiffer Leger is a soloist, teacher, and orchestral horn player currently performing in the Louisville Orchestra as Associate Principal/Third Horn. Prior to joining the Louisville Orchestra, Scott performed four seasons as a horn fellow in the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, and held the position of Principal Horn of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, NY. In addition, he has performed with The Florida Orchestra, and Omaha and South Dakota symphonies as a substitute musician, and has received fellowships to spend his summers at a variety of music festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, National Repertory Orchestra, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and National Orchestral Institute.

As a soloist, Scott has performed concerti with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and New World Symphony, and in the 2020-21 season, premiered a new arrangement of Eleanor Alberga’s The Shining Gates of Morpheus for horn and string orchestra with New World. Also, Scott has competed in international competitions, most recently winning the New World Symphony Concerto Competition with Aaron J. Kernis’ “Legacy” Concerto for Horn, Strings, and Harp, receiving Second Prize in the University Division of the International Horn Competition of America, and receiving an Honorable Mention in the Woolsey Concerto Competition for his performance of Oliver Knussen’s Horn Concerto.

Scott maintains an online presence as an artist and educator producing content for his YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok pages where he serves an audience of over 150,000 accounts. He has created over 1,000 videos, garnering tens of millions of views.

As a producer, Scott presented over 20 concerts for the New World Symphony’s popular “Live from our Living Room” series, and also produced “Spectral Sounds,” a concert series exploring the origins of spectral music, where he also was featured as a soloist in Tristan Murail’s rarely performed work memoire/erosion for solo horn and nine instruments. He enjoys using the internet to build classical music audiences and hopes to build a platform to inspire horn-players and musicians of all ages to enjoy their craft.

Scott completed his master’s degree at the Yale School of Music under the direction of William Purvis in 2018.

He received his bachelor of music degrees in music education with certification and music performance at Southern Methodist University, with minors in music theory and mathematics, in the studio of Gregory Hustis.

Andrew Burhans

Andrew Burhans joined the ASO as Associate Principal Horn in the 2024/25 season. Before joining the ASO he studied horn performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music with William VerMeulen. While living in Houston, Andrew performed frequently with the Houston Symphony as a substitute musician. During the summers Andrew has attended Spoleto Festival USA. Originally from Michigan, Andrew received his high school diploma from Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Mr. Corbin Wagner. Aside from musical interests, Andrew enjoys hiking, swimming, fishing, cooking, and traveling.

RESIDENT FACULTY

RICHARD WILLIAMS

Richard Williams is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Horn Festival and spent more than a decade as a freelance hornist in Atlanta. He is a member of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and served as a regular substitute and extra musician with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for several years. He performed with ensembles across the Southeast, including the Atlanta Opera and the symphony orchestras of Chattanooga, Augusta, Charleston, Charlotte, and Huntsville among others. For six years, Richard served as the Artist-in-Residence for horn at Kennesaw State University.

A passionate advocate for music education, he maintains an active private studio.

ERIC HAWKINS

Atlanta based horn player Eric Hawkins is a well-established and familiar face in the freelance music scene, holding positions with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and performing frequently with ensembles such as the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and The Atlanta Pops Orchestra. As a freelance artist, he travels often to join the horn sections in Chattanooga, Columbus, and Huntsville, and has a great history of performing with Broadway productions that tour through Atlanta at the Fox Theatre. Hawkins has collaborated and performed with artists and bands including Mannheim Steamroller, Johnny Mathis, T.I., David Phelps, The Who, Chloë Agnew, and Michael W. Smith.

Mr. Hawkins graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.M. in Music Performance from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, and also earned an M.M. in Music Performance from Georgia State University. As a graduate from Georgia State, his instructional career has come full-circle as he proudly holds an Artist Affiliate position on faculty in GSU’s School of Music. Hawkins maintains an active teaching studio of students from the Metro Atlanta area, with a large number earning places in the Georgia All-State Band, the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. When not performing or teaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife Aleksandra and their son Lukas.

DILON BRYAN

Dilon Bryan (he/him) is a highly esteemed British-born hornist hailing from Birmingham, United Kingdom, and currently residing in Atlanta, GA. Known for his approachable demeanor and fun-loving spirit, Dilon is a dedicated pedagogue and an accomplished performer.

As the newly-appointed Adjunct Professor of Horn at the University of North Georgia and University of West Georgia, Dilon imparts his extensive knowledge and passion for the craft to aspiring musicians. His expertise and commitment to teaching have earned him a reputation as a respected educator.

Dilon's musical journey has taken him to prestigious institutions, where he held graduate brass quintet chairs at the University of Georgia and University of Colorado Boulder from 2017 to 2022. This distinction showcased his talent and placed him among the top-performing brass musicians at both institutions.

Throughout his career, Dilon has had the privilege of performing with renowned ensembles such as the Colorado Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Billings Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Central City Opera, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as well as guest principal with both the Atlanta Symphony & Savannah Philharmonic.

Dilon's educational achievements include a MM degree in Performance from the University of Georgia and a BM in Performance from Columbus State University. His dedication to growth and learning led him to receive scholarships and study at the esteemed Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria after winning the Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta competition. Additionally, Dilon's skills were recognized when he was awarded first prize in the Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition, granting him the opportunity to perform in the renowned Wiener Saal.

Throughout his musical journey, Dilon has been fortunate to learn from exceptional mentors such as Michael Thornton, Carolyn Kunicki, Anna Dodd, Natalie Higgins, Catherine Kilroe-Smith, Jean Martin-Williams, Achim Reus, and Johannes Hinterholzer.

Beyond his musical pursuits, Dilon finds joy in various interests outside of music. He is an avid cook, specializing in preparing Jamaican jerk chicken, and he tirelessly searches for the best peppermint tea in existence. Dilon also cherishes moments spent making friends and family laugh, and his fearless, outgoing, 3-year-old cat, T'Challa, brings him immense joy and serves as his furry companion.