Hornist Wilden Dannenberg is a multifaceted performer who is committed to engaging listeners through a range of musical styles and performance experiences. With a foundation in early to contemporary repertoire, he has been featured as a soloist in such pieces as Mozart’s Third Horn Concerto, Bach’s B-Minor Mass, and Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra. In addition, he has been a prizewinner in several competitions sponsored by the International Horn Society.
Wilden enjoys exploring the versatility of the horn, performing and recording with ensembles that bridge American roots and Western classical traditions, as well as those that focus on improvisation and graphic, animated, and non-traditional notations. He is committed to expanding the solo and chamber repertoire for the instrument, collaborating frequently with composers to perform new and recent pieces.
Wilden is a fervid advocate of multidisciplinary music study and performance, believing strongly in experiences that connect with listeners in personal ways. Beyond horn pursuits, he enjoys performing as a jazz pianist, and serves as music director and organist at a church in Port Jefferson, New York. A native of Perry, Georgia, he received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a master’s from Stony Brook University. As part of his fellowship with Ensemble Connect, Wilden teaches at MS 216 George J. Ryan in Queens.