Philip Farkas & his horn

by Nancy Jordan Fako

The contributions of Philip Farkas in the fields of symphonic horn playing, pedagogy, and instrument design are of such importance that he will certainly be considered a major figure of the twentieth century. As a horn player, he was the only person ever to be offered the solo horn position in each of the "big five" American orchestras (Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra). His first book, The Art of French Horn Playing (Summy-Birchard Music, 1956) is considered the "bible" of horn players and is still a best seller in its field. The Art of Brass Playing (Wind Music, 1962, written in collaboration with the present author) and The Art of Musicianship (Wind Music, 1976) widened his exposure to encompass the entire music profession. The horn he designed with the Frank Holton Company in 1957 immediately established itself as the top-selling American-made horn, a position it continues to hold forty years l