Deeply expressive and melodic, the English horn boasts a unique texture in the woodwind family. On Elizabeth Masoudnia’s aptly titled ENGLISH HORN EXPRESSIONS, the instrument has found itself in the spotlight, guided by Masoudnia’s soothing tone, and lending a distinguished voice to the works of several composers. Containing works inspired by paintings and poetry, works written explicitly for Masoudnia, and more, the Philadelphia native’s Navona Records debut carries a healthy balance of sentimentality and musical prowess.
Today, Elizabeth is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn about a unique instrument she played alongside in the basement of a scotch factory, and the sole feeling she wishes listener’s to experience with her album…
Who was your first favorite artist(s) growing up?
Louis Rosenblatt, my predecessor in the Philadelphia Orchestra, was the premiere English horn player of his time, my oboe teacher for 6 years, a wonderful person and a true intellectual, as well. I was lucky enough to hear him play live many times in the Academy of Music and still listen to his many outstanding recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?
I realized that I wanted to be a professional oboist the first time I played the oboe, at age 8!
What was your most unusual performance, or the most embarrassing thing that happened to you during a performance?
I have played the English horn solo of Dvorak’s New World Symphony many times, including three times on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s recent 2023 Florida tour. But the most unusual time was when I played the solo in the basement of a scotch (the liquor) factory with the accompaniment of an Erhu (a Chinese stringed instrument) in Beijing!
What is your guilty pleasure?
Tap-dancing!
What does this album mean to you personally?
With this album, I am thrilled to be able to spotlight my favorite instrument, the English horn, and the wide variety of composers who wrote such challenging and beautiful pieces for the instrument.
Is there a specific feeling that you would like communicated to audiences in this work?
Passion!
Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, solo English horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995, has toured the globe with the Philadelphia Orchestra to wide critical acclaim with many of the world’s finest conductors. She has premiered several solo English horn pieces written explicitly for her, including concertos by Behzad Ranjbaran and Nicholas Maw, and David Ludwig’s Piccola Notturna for English horn, harp, and string quintet.
