Michael Thornton

Assistant Professor of Horn

Email: Michael.Thornton@colorado.edu
Website: http://spot.colorado.edu/~thorntom/
Office Location: Room C147, Imig Music Building
Office Phone: 303-492-6352
Mailing Address: 301 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0301

Michael Thornton has held the position of Principal Horn with the Colorado Symphony since 1997.  Prior to joining the Colorado Symphony, Michael left his studies at The Juilliard School for the Principal Horn position with the Honolulu Symphony, and has played guest Principal Horn for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Chautauqua Institute Festival Orchestra in Chautauqua, NY.  He has performed many subscriptions and summer seasons with the Philadelphia Orchestra, including several Carnegie Hall performances and the 2005 Tour of Asia. Mr. Thornton’s festival appearances include Bravo! Vail Valley (CO), Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival (NM), Moab Music Festival (UT), and Spoleto (SC).  He has recorded on the Angel/EMI, Koch, Naxos, Vox Classics, Albany, and UCAM labels.

Michael is an active chamber musician and soloist.  In addition to solo engagements with the Colorado Symphony, he has appeared with various Front Range orchestras.  He has performed numerous recitals throughout the United States.  Mr. Thornton is the Solo Horn of the Washington Island Chamber Festival in Door County, Wisconsin.  He is also a member of the artist faculty at the Colorado College Music Festival in Colorado Springs.  He has performed on several occasions with the New York Wind Soloists Quintet, a group comprised of members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.  Michael especially enjoys playing chamber works for flute and horn with his wife, Colorado Symphony Piccolo Julie Duncan Thornton.

Mr. Thornton joined the horn faculty at the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1999.  His students come from around the country, and have gone on to major conservatories and orchestral positions.  The CU Horn Choir has earned national attention under his tutelage, having performed at horn workshops, music educator conferences, and even Colorado Rockies baseball games.  Mr. Thornton has presented master classes at various major music institutions, including the Curtis Institute, Rice University, Manhattan School of Music, Interlochen National Music Camp, and many others. 

Michael studied at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and Temple University. His main teachers have included Jerome Ashby, Randy Gardner, Julie Landsman and J. C. Leuba.  Mr. Thornton is a Conn/Selmer artist, and performs on an Elkhart Conn 8D.

Upcoming events featuring Michael Thornton

Undergraduate Horn Audition Requirements (PDF)
Graduate Horn Audition Requirements (PDF)