WSMR Garth Family Intern Erik Ali-Mohamed interviewed Andrew Karr of the Florida Orchestra for WSMR's "Meet your musical neighbor" feature. Erik is a senior majoring in Music Performance with a concentration in Contemporary Commercial Music.
Andrew Karr was my horn instructor for USF from the time I became a music major, beginning in 2021. I was self-taught in French horn, only having a year of experience before coming to USF. Even though I was extremely insecure and doubted myself due to my background on the horn, Karr enjoyed listening to me play and allowed me to find the confidence in myself as a French horn player.
It was very rewarding to feel like I was one of the few top horn students in the studio, where the other top players have been playing their instrument since middle school. I chose to interview him because he is an extremely down-to-earth and rational musician who always ensured I left the lesson with a smile and a laugh even if I went into the lesson extremely upset.
Good morning, Andrew Karr.
Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with me! I am sure that WSMR listeners will be grateful for the opportunity to hear from the assistant principal/utility horn player for The Florida Orchestra.
What is your earliest memory in music?
I grew up in a musical household, so I was surrounded by classical music. My mother was an excellent pianist, and one of my very first memories is sitting underneath the piano listening to her play the Chopin Waltz in c-sharp minor. I can’t have been older than three.
Can you tell me more about your musical background before joining The Florida Orchestra? How did you get into this line of work?
Because my parents valued classical music so much, I received piano lessons beginning at five and horn starting at nine. Growing up in Boston there were many excellent programs and opportunities for young players, so I was able to develop orchestra skills very early. At some point it just seemed natural that I would continue pushing as far as I could. I attended the Curtis Institute of Music and followed that with professional training at the New World Symphony (in Miami). My first full time orchestra job was overseas in the Shanghai Philharmonic, and then I retired to the U.S. and played in the Sarasota Orchestra before joining The Florida Orchestra.
What lessons have you learned from your work life?
Important things I’ve learned have been to work at a level that satisfies me no matter the circumstance, to be flexible, and to know what I can contribute to the workplace.
Did you enjoy school?
I had a complex relationship with my conservatory training, but I very much appreciated the chance to work with extremely talented musicians as peers.
As a professional French horn player, do you have a specific story or moment in a performance that is a core memory?
The moments that do stick in my memory are ones where I feel like the musical teamwork was especially good. Early in my time at TFO, I remember playing second horn on the Beethoven “Violin Concerto.” The horn parts are beautiful but not especially prominent. But when we finished the principal and I looked at each other and we knew: we sounded really, really good.
Do you have any performances you are looking forward to?
I’m fortunate to be acting principal in TFO this year, so there are lot of cool first horn parts I will be playing that I didn’t think I would get to do again in my career. I am playing a concerto this January which will be a lot of fun, and for major orchestral works I’m particularly looking forward to the Bruckner “Fourth Symphony” and the Shostakovich “Cello Concerto No. 1,” which features the horn very prominently.
You were once the French horn professor at the University of South Florida; do you still teach students when you’re not performing?
I decided that at least for a few years I would not take on any private students and focus on performing. But I did travel to Bismarck, North Dakota this year to perform with the band and give some master classes.
What would you like to tell younger musicians looking into music as a career?
It ain’t easy. The numbers are tough and the competition for the little, low-paying work there is very intense. But if you really love it: then obsess! Learn everything you can about the music, seek out new performers and styles, and learn to be the best musical version of yourself you can be.
Outside of music, what do you like to do?
I enjoy traveling and hiking, with a particular passion for mountain peaks. Physical fitness is important to me both for my climbing hobby and for playing the horn, so I try to do a healthy activity every day including weightlifting, running or climbing. I also enjoy studying foreign languages and interesting food.
Karr is more serious about "hitting the heights" by climbing than you may think. Steve Hartman even profiled him about it for the CBS Evening News "On the Road" segment, a couple of years ago.
