Albert Suarez will join us this Fall 2023 as Assistant Professor of Horn. We enjoyed having him as a colleague during the previous academic year, and he will be a familiar presence in Grant Hall.
Alberto Suarez was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, and raised in South Florida. He has served as Principal Horn of the Kansas City Symphony since 2006, where he holds the Landon and Sarah Rowland Chair. He spends his summers performing and teaching at the Round Top Festival Institute.
Suarez has served as guest Principal Horn with the Milwaukee Symphony and the Fort Worth Symphony. Suarez was a member of the New World Symphony from 2002-2006 and toured internationally with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Symphony. In addition to performing with the Kansas City Symphony, Suarez performs locally as Principal Horn of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony and the Overland Park Symphony. In 2019, Suarez performed as Principal Horn of the New World Symphony Alumni Orchestra at the 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors celebrating the world renowned conductor, composer, pianist, and educator Michael Tilson Thomas.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are important to Suarez. He has written and spoken on the subject and is proud to serve as a member of the Artist Council for the National Alliance for Audition Support, a field-wide initiative with the long-term goal of increasing diversity in American orchestras. In addition, Suarez is a member of the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, a unique all Black and LatinX orchestra comprised of top professionals from all over the country. In January 2023, Suarez celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, by serving as Principal Horn on a tour, featuring a sold-out performance at the Kennedy Center.
As an educator, Suarez serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and previously served as Artist in Residence: Horn Studio Instructor at the University of Central Missouri. He has taught master classes at the University of Kansas, Missouri Western State, Baylor University, University of Denver, Manhattan School of Music, University of Louisville, and the New World Symphony.