Horne wins second SEUS solo competition

A Daleville High School junior is the recent winner of Troy University’s Southeastern United States Solo Festival.

In recognition of the achievement, Austin Horne was featured as a soloist, with a professor accompanying on piano, during the SEUS’s honor band in-person concert which was part of the 49th Annual Southeastern United States Honor Band and Clinic held Feb. 3 through 5 at Troy University in Troy.

Student musicians from throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee were selected to participate in the event.

Horne performed on alto sax live in front of the mass honor band audience, comprised of some 2,000 students, parents and directors, at the finale concert on Saturday, Feb. 5.

“This is actually the second time that Austin has won the SEUS Solo Competition,” said DHS Assistant Band Director Stephanie Robertson. “He is the only student to win from Daleville since the initiation of the competition. It’s very, very, very difficult to win.”

Horne said he decided to participate in the solo competition after a challenge from DHS Band Director Mark Nichols. “Two years ago at SEUS, I was watching the solo competition winner and then Mr. Nichols said, ‘That’s going to be you next year,’” Horne said. “So I guess it’s a case of manifest destiny of some sort.”

For the competition, participants chose from a musical selection list provided by Troy University. “I picked my second favorite from the list provided by Troy,” Horne said. “I guess you could say that I picked the one that spoke to me the ‘second most.’

“Last year I played ‘Carnival of Venice’ arranged by Hemke,” he said. “This year I played ‘Tableaux De Provence’ by Paul Maurice.”

“I had to listen to multiple interpretations of the piece and then decide how I wanted to interpret the piece. I had to take it line by line and even measure by measure in some places to get it perfect,” Horne explained. “I sent in a video audition with Roy Hoobler from Enterprise serving as my live accompanist.”

Horne said he learned that he made it into the finals when he arrived at Troy University for the honor band clinic. “They announced two names as finalists and then we each had to perform live in front of the SEUS board of directors to see who would perform on the honor band concert,” Horne said. “Once I was selected as the winner, I still had to pass another audition with a live accompanist to be able to perform Saturday. Hui-Ting Yang, a piano professor at Troy, was my accompanist.”

Horne expressed appreciation for Hoobler. “He helped me record my submission. He played the piano with me enough before we made the original recording that I was comfortable with playing everything live,” Horne said. “Playing with Dr. Hui-Tin Yang was even better because we were on the stage of a concert hall with a brand new Steinway grand.”

“I tried not to think about what I was doing as a ‘big deal’ while I was playing,” Horne recalled. “It was terrifying to play in front of the number of people in the audience.

“But at the same time, it made me want to play it better because I didn’t want to let the audience down,” he added. “I knew it was full of fellow musicians and teachers.”

Nichols said he is proud of Horne’s accomplishment. “I felt extremely proud of his hard work and accomplishment,” he said. “Austin has succeeded in setting a goal for himself and then accomplishing it. “We are blessed to have such wonderful students here at Daleville High School that are not afraid to compete on the regional level,” Nichols added.

Horne will next compete in the Alabama Bandmasters Association State Solo Competition in April.