Gene Berger
Professor of Music Performance (Horn)
Gene P. Berger is associate professor of horn at Ball State University and member of the Musical Arts Woodwind Quintet and DaCamera Brass Quintet. In addition to his teaching position, Mr. Berger is the principal horn with Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Florida Symphony, where he has been a featured soloist, and a member of Traverse Symphony. Prior to his appointment at Ball State in 2010, Mr. Berger was a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, and The Florida Orchestra. He can be heard on numerous recordings with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel and the Grammy-winning recordings of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Paavo Järvi.
Mr. Berger has been an active educator, formerly teaching at the Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Central Florida, and the University of Tampa. He has presented master classes, lectures, educational recitals, and hosted clinics throughout North America. In the summers, Mr. Berger has taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp, and has made performance appearances with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, Music in the Mountains, The Spoleto Festival, and the AIMS Festival in Graz, Austria.
Mr. Berger received his Master of Music from Southern Methodist University and his Bachelor of Music from Florida State University. His principal teachers were Gregory Hustis, principal horn of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dr. William Capps, former principal horn of the Berlin Radio Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Frederick Schmitt, charter member of the New York Brass Quintet.
Mr. Berger was also the host of the 50th International Horn Symposium (IHS 50) that was held at Ball State University in 2018.