Hornist: Dr. Ashley Cumming is in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral hornist worldwide. Alongside her varied orchestral commitments including principal horn with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Ashley is a frequent recitalist and arranges solo and group performances for a variety of events. As the hornist in Spark Brass and former hornist for Bay Street Brassworks, Ashley tours the U.S. with the dynamic brass and percussion ensemble.
Teacher: Ashley is the horn instructor and high brass techniques instructor at Marian University in Indianapolis as well as former brass instructor and ensemble director at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. Her private studio includes students of all levels, and she brings a diverse and positive approach into her teaching. Ashley addresses all aspects of horn playing with a comprehensive approach, from history and theory to embracing creativity and self-awareness on and off-stage.
Get Fearless: Ashley works with groups and individuals in masterclasses and private lessons on optimal performance training; helping others cope with performance anxiety, and embracing Fearlessness in all aspects of life.
Collaborations: Ashley is an avid promoter of Canadian music, and commissioned Toronto native Glenn James to compose a multi-movement work for horn and piano through the International Horn Society Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Program. Pastoralia premiered in Canada and the U.S. in Fall 2012. Ashley also gave the U.S. premiere of Elizabeth Raum's Pantheon for horn, violin and piano, and performed her Romance at the International Women's Brass Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Together with Spark Brass, Ashley has also commissioned works by Tyler Gilmore and Sy Brandon.
Education: With a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University, Ashley specializes in early music performance on natural horn and in music history and literature alongside her performance and literature studies. She was the Brass Graduate Assistant during her IU studies.
Scholarship: Ashley's final project "From Hotels to Concert Halls: the Evolution of the North American Orchestral French Horn Audition" is available here through IU Scholarworks. It examines the evolution of the audition system and trends in procedure, repertoire, preparation and technology, reaching conclusions on the state of auditions today, citing interviews from renowned players and pedagogues across North America.
Teacher: Ashley is the horn instructor and high brass techniques instructor at Marian University in Indianapolis as well as former brass instructor and ensemble director at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. Her private studio includes students of all levels, and she brings a diverse and positive approach into her teaching. Ashley addresses all aspects of horn playing with a comprehensive approach, from history and theory to embracing creativity and self-awareness on and off-stage.
Get Fearless: Ashley works with groups and individuals in masterclasses and private lessons on optimal performance training; helping others cope with performance anxiety, and embracing Fearlessness in all aspects of life.
Collaborations: Ashley is an avid promoter of Canadian music, and commissioned Toronto native Glenn James to compose a multi-movement work for horn and piano through the International Horn Society Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Program. Pastoralia premiered in Canada and the U.S. in Fall 2012. Ashley also gave the U.S. premiere of Elizabeth Raum's Pantheon for horn, violin and piano, and performed her Romance at the International Women's Brass Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Together with Spark Brass, Ashley has also commissioned works by Tyler Gilmore and Sy Brandon.
Education: With a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University, Ashley specializes in early music performance on natural horn and in music history and literature alongside her performance and literature studies. She was the Brass Graduate Assistant during her IU studies.
Scholarship: Ashley's final project "From Hotels to Concert Halls: the Evolution of the North American Orchestral French Horn Audition" is available here through IU Scholarworks. It examines the evolution of the audition system and trends in procedure, repertoire, preparation and technology, reaching conclusions on the state of auditions today, citing interviews from renowned players and pedagogues across North America.
