Kurt Snyder has a varied and extensive background in music performance and pedagogy. He has performed on over five hundred movie scores with major film composers including Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Elmer Bernstein, Randy Newman, Alan Sylvestri, Danny Elfman, James Horner, and Michael Giacchino among others. He has also recorded on numerous television shows and jingles. Orchestral performance credits include work with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, CalArts New Century Players and many others. Kurt has also served as principal horn in concert with luminaries including The Three Tenors, Luciano Pavoratti, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Grobin, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Henry Mancini.
While a student at UCLA, SMU and The Juilliard School, Kurt’s horn teachers included the preeminent horn players Vincent DeRosa, Sinclair Lott, James London and James Chambers. Mr. Snyder has served on the music faculties of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the California Institute of the Arts. He is currently the horn instructor for Idyllwild Arts Academy where he joined the faculty as a founding member in 1986.
Many of Kurt’s students have gone on to prestigious music schools including The Juilliard School, Eastman, Curtis, Manhattan, Yale and Oberlin and are now enjoying successful careers in music, some winning top orchestral positions in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Since retiring from the Los Angeles music scene, Kurt has continued his lifelong passion of playing chamber music with his colleagues and friends as well as teaching.