What city are you living in now? I currently live in Millersville, MD and Swansboro, NC.
Where did you study? I studied at Peabody Preparatory School, later at the Conservatory with Robert Pierce, and then at the New School of Music in Philadelphia with Philadelphia Orchestra hornists Randy Gardner and Daniel Williams. I also studied in Berlin, Germany.
What is your favorite piece of music? There are so many wonderful pieces but I’ve always loved the Tchaikovsky “Pathetique” Symphony Number 6 most of all.
What do you enjoy in your spare time? I love kayaking in North Carolina, studying foreign languages, and most of all being with my family.
What is your fondest Annapolis Symphony memory? There are so many fond ASO memories: I began playing with the orchestra as a substitute in 1977 while a student at Peabody. I was Principal Horn for 15 years after beginning as Associate Principal in 1990. This is my 15th year as Second Horn. Two of my fondest musical memories are performing as soloist in Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3 in 2003 and performing the Solo Horn Obligato in the Annapolis Symphony premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Our 2022 tour to Spain was certainly the highlight of my tenure with the ASO. I was also one of the two orchestra musicians on the Conductor Search Committee that brought our current Music Director, José-Luis Novo, to the ASO.
Steven Barzal is a native of Baltimore and attended the Peabody Preparatory where he was an honor graduate. He received his Bachelor of Music from the New School of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with Philadelphia Orchestra hornists Randy Gardner and Daniel Williams.
Upon graduation, he was appointed Principal Hornist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia in Bogotá by Music Director and subsequent Resident Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Luis Biava. Subsequently, Mr. Barzal performed as Associate Principal of the Philharmonisches Orchester Giessen in Germany.
From 1984-2005 he served as Principal Horn of the U.S. Naval Academy Band, appearing many times as soloist in works by Mozart, Chabrier, Schumann, Pascuzzi, and others. He joined the Annapolis Symphony in 1990 as Co-Principal and was appointed Principal Horn in 1993 by Music Director Gisèle Ben-Dor. He made his debut as soloist with the ASO in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Ben-Dor in a 1994 Family Concert, and in a 2003 subscription concert performed Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3 with Leslie Dunner.
He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Master Certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University.