Principal Horn of The Houston Symphony, a position he has held since 1990, WILLIAM VERMEULEN, leads his generation of American horn soloists. He is hailed as “an impeccable solo horn” by the Berlin Neue Zeit; In Tune magazine comments, “the horn playing of William VerMeulen is miraculous!...clearly one of today’s superstars of the international brass scene,” and Fanfare magazine observes, “Horn virtuoso William VerMeulen may be the best of the lot, commanding his difficult instrument with suavity and grace.”

William VerMeulen’s current season is highlighted by fall and spring engagements with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with which he collaborates as an artist member.

A popular presence on the stages and faculties of numerous music festivals and chamber music presenters, William VerMeulen’s credentials include: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, Aspen, Interlochen, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Joshua Bell and Friends, Bowdoin, Colorado, Grand Teton, Kapalua, Pacific, Round Top, Steamboat Springs, Chamber Music Northwest and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, where he also serves as Principal Horn. In August 2008, he was appointed to the faculty of The Banff Centre in Canada.

William VerMeulen is a champion of new music, and has had numerous works written especially for him, including concerti by the esteemed American composer Samuel Adler and Prix de Rome and Stoeger Award winner Pierre Jalbert. His artistry is represented on CD by an internationally acclaimed recording of the four Mozart horn concerti with The Houston Symphony, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.

The recipient of an array of awards and honors, William VerMeulen won First Prize at the 1980 International Horn Society Soloist Competition and the Shapiro Award for Most Outstanding Brass Player at the Tanglewood Festival. He received his training from Dale Clevenger at Northwestern University and at the Interlochen Arts Academy.

William VerMeulen is Professor of Horn at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Arguably one of the most successful horn teachers working today, his former students perform in prestigious orchestras throughout the world, among them the New York, Los Angeles and Israel philharmonics, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston, Cincinnati and Dallas symphony orchestras. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the International Horn Society, serves as an adjudicator and board member of the International Horn Competition of America and has been a regular coach at The New World Symphony in Miami. In 1985, Mr. VerMeulen was invited to the White House to receive a “Distinguished Teacher of America Certificate of Excellence,” presented by President Ronald Reagan and the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

William VerMeulen performs on instruments that have been custom-made and handcrafted by Keith Berg of Canada and Engelbert Schmid of Germany. He is Founder and President of VerMeulen Music, L.L.C., which offers music and products for horn players worldwide.

William VerMeulen is married to Houston Opera and Ballet violinist Sylvia VerMeulen, and they are the parents of two lovely children, Michael and Nicole. In his rare free time, he enjoys having good friends in his home to share his passion for fine cooking and wine.

ADLER, Samuel
Concerto (written for Mr. VerMeulen)
ATTERBERG, Kurt
Concerto
BOZZA, Eugène
En forêt
CHERUBINI
Two Sonatas
DANZI
Concerto in E-flat
DUKAS
Villanelle
FÖRSTER, Christoph
Concerto in E-flat
GLIERE
Concerto in B-flat, Op. 91
GRAZIANA
Variations on Haydn’s Theme
HAYDN
Concerto #1
Concerto #2
HÜBLER, Heinrich
Concerto for 4 Horns
JALBERT, Pierre
Concerto (written for Mr. VerMeulen)
KAYSER, Leif
Concerto
MOZART, Leopold
Concerto for 2 Horns
Sinfonia de caccia for 4 Horns & Strings
MOZART, Wolfgang
Concerto #1 in E-flat, K. 412
Concerto #2 in E-flat, K. 417
Concerto #3 in E-flat, K. 447
Concerto #4 in E-flat, K. 495
Rondo in E-flat, K. 371
ROSETTI, F.A.
Concerto in E-flat #5 for 2 Horns
ROSSINI
“Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville
SAINT-SAËNS
Morceau de concert in f, op. 94
Romance in F, Op. 36
SCHUMANN
Adagio & Allegro
Konzertstück in F for 4 Horns, Op. 86
STRAUSS, Franz
Concerto in c, Op. 8
STRAUSS, Richard
Concerto #1 in E-flat, Op. 11
Concerto #2 in E-flat
TELEMANN
Concerto in D
Concerto in E-flat for 2 Horns
VINTER, Gilbert
Hunter’s Moon
VIVALDI
Concerto in F for 2 Horns
WEBER
Concertino in e, Op. 45
WILLIAMS, John
Concerto
WITT, C.F.
Concerto for 2 Horns

"VerMeulen’s playing has all the spontaneity and flexibility of the human voice. He brought a controlled, rounded tone to the lyrical melodies of the first movement, and the slow movement had a regal dignity. The finale, though, was what brought the house down. VerMeulen played [Strauss Concerto #1] with jaunty confidence, and the coda was especially witty and charming."
THE BUFFALO NEWS

"For every thorny challenge Gliere hurls his way, VerMeulen tosses each back with aplomb and turns the most derivative passage of the work into something newly lovely and unerringly musical. There aren’t many horn players around of his caliber."
HONOLULU ADVERTISER

"VerMeulen played the four [Mozart] horn concertos with polish and style. Even in his stride onstage VerMeulen had the sort of confidence that suggests a soloist’s personality. When addressing the music, he played with a fluency, ease and conviction that radiated enjoyment of the music and a commitment to communication. Consistently the horn concertos were ready for prime-time playing."
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

"If this album with the principal winds of the Houston Symphony were released as three singles, the disc with the four horn concertos would be the prize catch. VerMeulen’s awesome range of tone color, buoyant phrasing, delicate articulation, pungent accent, and emotional shading is both embracing and exhilarating."
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

"VerMeulen’s clean, smooth tone and technical accuracy [Schumann Adagio and Allegro] were exemplary."
THE SEATTLE TIMES

"His smooth and mellow tone, perfectly controlled at all levels was a delight to hear, so that the concerto [Strauss Concerto #1] was over all too soon."
AUCKLAND REVIEW (New Zealand)

"The high point of the evening came with the appearance of VerMeulen, whose skillful and spirited traversal of the Strauss Concerto was a stunning achievement. William VerMeulen gave as sensational account of Richard Strauss’ demanding Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat as one is apt to ever hear. VerMeulen tossed off the virtuosic arpeggiation with impeccable accuracy and spun out the more melodic passages with sensuous tonal beauty."
SAVANNAH NEWS-PRESS

"The horn playing of William VerMeulen is miraculous!...clearly one of the superstars on the international brass scene."
IN TUNE

"VerMeulen possesses one of the keenest understandings of the differences among orchestral, chamber and solo playing. In the Mozart [Quintet, K. 407], he propelled the interpretation with selfless authority and lustrous tone."
HOUSTON CHRONICLE