ARTIST FACULTY

2025 GUEST ARTIST FACULTY

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.

Shelby
Nugent

Shelby Nugent currently serves as a member of the horn section of The Dallas Opera Orchestra. In demand as a freelancer, she regularly performs as a guest musician with the Atlanta Symphony and the Dallas Symphony. Most recently she joined the Atlanta Symphony on their West Coast Tour in 2024 and the Dallas Symphony on their East Coast Tour in 2023. Prior to joining the Dallas Opera, Shelby was a member of the Sarasota Orchestra for the 2021/2022 season. Shelby began her professional career in 2017 as Second Horn of The Phoenix Symphony, where she remained for four seasons. During the summers, Shelby performs with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Shelby received her bachelor’s in music performance from Northwestern University where she was a student of Gail Williams and Jonathan Boen. She was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago during her time at Northwestern. A native of St. Louis, MO, in high school Shelby studied with Tod Bowermaster, third horn of the St. Louis Symphony and received mentorship in orchestra and chamber music through the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Preparatory Music Program at Webster University. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her boyfriend, oboist Jonathan Gentry, and their toothless cat, Pogo. Shelby also holds a Paralegal Certificate from Emory University.

Mackenzie Newell

Mackenzie Newell is a professional hornist and educator based in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Additionally, she spent time in London studying at the Royal College of Music as well as the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.

While in Boston, Mackenzie performed with the Boston Pops and the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra. Mackenzie is now an active Atlanta freelancer and has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, the Atlanta Opera, the Chattanooga Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, and the Huntsville Symphony. She is also the hornist of the Atlanta Brassworks quintet.

Alongside her performance career, Mackenzie is the horn professor at Kennesaw State University and Reinhardt University and is on faculty with the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival. Outside of work, Mackenzie enjoys spending time with her family, crocheting, and reading books while curled up next to her cat, Frankie.

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.