Bill Hopson

Permanent Residence: Calgagry, Alberta, Canada                                                                          Citizenship: Canada                                                                      

Education: Bachelor of Music, Oberlin College, 1976                        

Current Occupation: French Horn Player in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra since 1977

Combining his talents as a craftsman and a musician, he founded  Rocky Mountain Alphorns to hand build a limited edition of superior instruments for professional Horn players and discriminating enthusiasts. His Alphorns feature beautifully carved and painted artwork and are often trimmed with the stunning hardwoods he gathers from every corner of the globe. William Hopson performs and records on a Rocky Mountain Alphorn made from Canadian Sitka Spruce with Australian Jarra Wood highlights.

He has recorded four compact discs of Alphorn music and published one volume of Alphorn music, all of which are sold worldwide.

William Hopson is widely regarded as one of the finest Alphorn soloist of his generation. In his travels he has introduced the music of the Alphorn to audiences in North America, Europe and Asia. As a champion of the music of Swiss composer Jean Daetwyler, he has performed "Concerto for Alphorn and Orchestra" with many orchestras, receiving in every case an enthusiastic ovation from the audience.

For more information about William Hopson, his Alphorns and his performing career, see his website at www.alphorn.ca

Brian Priebe

Permanent Residence: Washington, DC, USA                            

Citizenship: United States                                                        

Current Occupation: Professional Musician 

Brian is a gifted music director, singer and world-class instrumentalist playing both Trombone and Swiss Alphorn. He is a former member of the Utah Chamber Orchestra performing with Ballet West. The sound of his horn can be heard on numerous movie and TV soundtracks and commercials.

Competing on the Swiss Alphorn in 2007, he took 2nd place in the International Alphorn Festival in Nendaz, Switzerland. 120 competitors came from around the globe to the festival, but the biggest surprise was the American's 2nd place win. Never before has an American reached the finals of the competition which has been dominated by the Swiss since its inception.

A crowd of over 2,000 alphorn lovers basked in a lush mountain meadow as the sun glinted off a spectacular mountain lake setting the stage for the competition. A renowned panel of international alphorn stars judged the competitors on technique, musicality and "Authentic Swiss Style".

Tony Brazelton

Current Position:

Founder of the North American Alphorn Retreat, and Salzburger Echo              

Citizenship: United States                                                               

Education: Bachelor of Music (teaching) University of Wyoming, Master of Music (performance) University of Nevada Reno

Tony Brazelton is a professional trumpet and alphorn player with more than 40 years of experience in musical performance. Tony's musical career has taken all across the United States and Europe. In 1992 Tony founded the Salt Lake City, Utah based band Salzburger Echo. In 2008 he founded the North Americna Alphorn Retreat.

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Salzburger Echo brings the nusic of the Alps to their audi­ences. Playing Old World and contemporary folk music from the alpine regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzer­land. The band regularly plays some of the largest Oktoberfests in the nation as well as having performed at hundreds of elementary schools across the nation to help teach children about the origin of the music and about the music itself.

Tony was the third place finisher at the 2008 international alphorn competition in Nendaz, Switzerland. In 2010 placed 2nd with Brian Priebe with a duet, also placed 5th in the solo completion in Nendaz, Switzerland.

salzburgerecho@comcast.net

www.salzburgerecho.com 

Jim Hopson

Jim Hopson is an in-demand freelance low brass player, Alphorn player, composer, arranger, and educator based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Effortlessly versatile, his body of work as a performer crosses every genre and includes tours and appearances (live & recorded) all over the world. A dedicated educator, he has taught private lessons and clinics to hundreds of young musicians, and has conducted student ensembles of all ages and abilities. He is a first-call arranger for bands and orchestras throughout BC, and his arrangements have been featured on numerous albums, TV shows, and films.

He has recorded two studio albums as a leader: ’West Coast Nights’ and ‘Generations’, both available on iTunes, CDBaby, and Amazon.

Website: www.jimhopsonmusic.com

Monica Hambrick

Monica Hambrick has a Master's degree in horn performance from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor's degree in music education from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. Monica is the owner and director of New River Music Center, where she teaches the early childhood program Music Together. Monica has performed alphorn at the eighth annual North American Alphorn Retreat, and with the groups Salzburger Echo and Alphorn Greuzie. Most recently, Monica was one of the teacher/trainers at the first annual Northwest Alphorn Workshop in Leavenworth Washington. In her free time Monica enjoys rock climbing and playing her alphorn in the New River Gorge, the area where she lives in West Virginia.

Robert Brazelton

Residence: Austin, Texas, USA

Citizenship: United States

Occupation: Organizer of the North American Alphorn Retreat, freelance Alphorn Player, Composer, Vocalist, Yodeler, and Manager of Logistics and Communication for Salzburger Echo

Robert Brazelton has been performing alphorn since the summer of 2003. Robert was the first American to compete in the International Alphorn Festival (Nendaz, Switaerland), and has tallied two top-ten finishes. Having taken up the alphorn at a young age, Robert has been interviewed for, and featured in several television programs that ran across Europe and North America. Robert performed an alphorn solo for the Utah State High School Solo/Ensemble Festival in 2009 and received a superior rating. This is believed to be the first time that the alphorn was used in a State Solo Festival in the United States. Robert was also featured as one of 10 soloists during Skyline High Schools 2009 senior recital, where he performed a concerto arrangement of Hans Jorg Sommer’s “Am Holzervag" on alphorn. 

In recent years, Robert Has taken over as one of the featured singers and yodelers of the Salzburger Echo Band, and has been touring the western U.S. and performing at some of the largest Oktoberfests and European Heritage Festivals in America. Outside of his role in Salzburger Echo, He is also a composer and freelance alphorn player.

Robert is the main organizer and manager of the North American Alphorn Retreat.

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info@alphornretreat.com

Wednesday August 7th,2019

10:30 Final Registration and light lunch (the Inn at Solitude)

12:30 - 16:30 Group lessons /rehearsal & breaks.
 

(Private or small ensemble lessons as arranged)

18:00 Dinner (St. Bernard's)

Thursday August 8th, 2019

8:00  Breakfast  (St. Bernard's)

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10:00 - 12:00 Group lessons/rehearsal & break.

(Private or small ensemble lessons as arranged)

14:00 - 16:00 Group lessons /rehearsal.

18:00 Dinner (St. Bernard's)

Friday August 9th, 2019

8:00 Breakfast (St. Bernard's)

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10:00 - 12:00 Group lessons/ rehearsal.

14:00 - 16:00 Group lessons/ rehearsal

18:00 Dinner (St. Bernard's)

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Saturday August 10th, 2019

8:00 Breakfast

10:00 - 11:00 Group lesson/ final rehearsal.
 

12:00 – 15:00 AlphornFest 2019 at Village Green (final lineup and time of alphorn performance to be announced)

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(Lunch vouchers will be provided for participants and guests of the Retreat.)