Professor Han Xianguang and His Contribution to the Horn World

This dissertation verifies Professor Han, Xianguang as the most significant Chinese horn player and teacher in the twentieth century. He was the first Chinese horn player to win in an international horn competition and the first president of the China Horn Association. He was the premier performer of the only known Chinese horn concerto: Fantasy-Concerto <In Memory>, composed by Professor Shi Yongkang in 1962. Professor Han also served as a judge for many international horn solo and chamber music competitions, and was president of the first (2012), second (2013), and third (2014) CCOM (Central College of Music) International Horn Festivals in Beijing. This dissertation explores Professor Han’s professional and pedagogical contributions to the horn world. These contributions will, in turn, provide an overview of the evolution of the horn and horn playing in China. The horn, historically and musically an instrument of Western Europe, was transported to Asia by many horn players and teachers, with Professor Han the most significant figure in its evolution in China. During Professor Han’s 60-year teaching career, he developed a special pedagogical system. A number of his outstanding horn students, including two sons, eventually became principal hornists in orchestras throughout China, with a few hired by European orchestras, and some have won international competitions. A secondary purpose of this dissertation is to offer historical and pedagogical information to young horn players, especially those of Asian descent, to give them a more thorough musical and aesthetical understanding of their instrument in the Asian history and culture. As part of his DMA Lecture Recital on September 6, 2015, the author presented the US premiere of Fantasy-Concerto <In Memory> in its piano reduction.