Hornist: Dr. Ashley Cumming is in demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral hornist worldwide. As the hornist in Spark Brass, Ashley tours the U.S. with the dynamic brass and percussion ensemble. Alongside her varied orchestral commitments including former principal horn with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Ashley is a frequent recitalist and arranges solo and group performances for a variety of events.
Teacher: Ashley is the Assistant Professor of Horn and music history coordinator at Murray State University. She has previously held academic and studio teaching appointments at Marian University, Indiana Univerity-Purdue University of Indianapolis, University of Indianapolis and Vincennes University as well as Idyllwild Summer Music Festival. 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. The MSU prospective student interest form is available here.
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 in 2015 commissioned Paganini Variations from renowned composer and conductor Bramwell Tovey for herself and Jeff Nelsen. The work was premiered at the 2016 International Horn Society conference. She also 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. Ashley also promotes the works of female composers, Diffusion by Michelle McQuade-Dewhirst was commissioned along with colleagues Peggy Moran, Julie Gerhardt and Ericka Grodrian for its IHS 50 premiere in Indiana in 2018. Together with Spark Brass, Ashley has also commissioned works by Carleton Macy, David Kinch, Tyler Gilmore and Sy Brandon.
Scholarship: 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. 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. She has presented on the topic at the 2014 IWBC and published in the 2015 February and October issues of the Horn Call.
Teacher: Ashley is the Assistant Professor of Horn and music history coordinator at Murray State University. She has previously held academic and studio teaching appointments at Marian University, Indiana Univerity-Purdue University of Indianapolis, University of Indianapolis and Vincennes University as well as Idyllwild Summer Music Festival. 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. The MSU prospective student interest form is available here.
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 in 2015 commissioned Paganini Variations from renowned composer and conductor Bramwell Tovey for herself and Jeff Nelsen. The work was premiered at the 2016 International Horn Society conference. She also 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. Ashley also promotes the works of female composers, Diffusion by Michelle McQuade-Dewhirst was commissioned along with colleagues Peggy Moran, Julie Gerhardt and Ericka Grodrian for its IHS 50 premiere in Indiana in 2018. Together with Spark Brass, Ashley has also commissioned works by Carleton Macy, David Kinch, Tyler Gilmore and Sy Brandon.
Scholarship: 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. 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. She has presented on the topic at the 2014 IWBC and published in the 2015 February and October issues of the Horn Call.
