Behind the Horn

The University of Minnesota School of Music shares several faculty members with Twin Cities area professional organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. These connections substantially enrich the educational opportunities provided to our students by allowing them access to members of the local music industry and enabling them to gain real-world experience through masterclasses, side-by-side rehearsals, and performances, as well as easy access to the Twin Cities' vibrant performance community. 

Horn Professor Ellen Dinwiddie Smith is a notable example of these connections. She has enjoyed a 32-year tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra while also leading the successful horn studio at the University of Minnesota alongside Jaclyn Rainey and Caroline Lemen. How did Smith embark on this path? It was through an incredible devotion to music and mentoring young musicians that led to a dual career of both teaching and performing.

Recently, Smith announced her retirement from the Minnesota Orchestra after a remarkable performance career. She will continue to lead the horn studio at the School of Music and guide young musicians for years to come. 
 

 

As a child of a military family, Smith grew up in several different cities, states, and countries, including New York, Oklahoma, Florida, Germany, Hawaii, and Texas. She was born in West Point, the fifth of six children in an active household. Smith recalls hearing her first orchestra at a school concert in Hawaii in elementary school. 

In Texas, her band director suggested the horn for Smith, as she was left-handed and had a good ear, two attributes that are particularly helpful for a beginning horn player. She quickly developed a passion for playing and continued to develop through years of practice. She attended the University of Texas at Austin for two years before transferring to the Juilliard School, and then again to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, graduating in 1987. 

“I most definitely lived and breathed horn 24/7,” Smith says. “I was often the first in the practice room and the last to go home because brass players need to space out their practice sessions.” Smith discovered her voice at Curtis, where she found a supportive community of colleagues, faculty, and conductors. As she tells her students, "It isn't where you go; it is your work with your private teacher that counts. You need a teacher who can help you hear what you need to work on so that you can fix it in the practice room.” 

Following brief tenures with the Charleston (SC) Symphony and the Fort Worth Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra welcomed Smith to its roster in March 1993. Initially, she joined as second horn and was the first woman ever appointed to the brass section. Seven years later, she was promoted to the third horn position, making her one of the few players who have held both a low and high horn position in a major orchestra. Soon after joining the orchestra, Smith started her family with her husband, UMN Artistic Director of Orchestral Studies Mark Russell Smith. While raising their children, she taught privately, but once their children left for college, she joined the School of Music faculty. 

Smith enjoys getting to know each student and piecing together the puzzle of their learning style. Seeing her students succeed and grow is one of her favorite things about working in the School of Music. “We recently had a graduate win an orchestra job, and several others are working as band directors,” Smith explained, “It brings me great joy when our students are successful!”

The best thing a prospective horn student can do, Smith says, is to find a good horn teacher and start working on fundamentals. She recommends beginning piano lessons, as piano knowledge can significantly enhance later study of music theory and ear training. For prospective students interested in her studio, Smith seeks students who are well-prepared, curious, and ready to learn.

In the studio, Smith encourages students not to work for perfection, but to focus on improvement. She believes students can learn to play at a high level with hard work, but still respects natural ability. “The skills and dedication it takes to play an instrument are essential and can transfer to many different areas in life,” 

Read more about Smith's Minnesota Orchestra career. 

Fun fact: In her spare time, Smith enjoys reading, gardening, biking, walking her mini-schnauzers, scuba diving and underwater photography. 
 

 

 

Headshot credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash