Who even am I?
Landon Young is a French hornist whose performing career spans major American orchestras, festivals, film and game music, and innovative concert projects.
Currently a Film Scoring Orchestra Apprentice with the RISE Musicians at Play Foundation, he was previously appointed a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra horn section as a Paul J. Ross Fellow from 2024–2026.
Born in 2001 in Sicilì, Italy, many changes have taken place in the life of Landon, as he has moved to Japan, New Mexico, Germany, Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Although he’s undergone these constant changes, one of the few things that has stayed constant in his life is music! Landon started his musical journey when he was 4 on piano while living in New Mexico. During his time in Virginia, in the 4th grade, he started playing violin. In the 5th grade, he took up the French horn and stuck with it ever since!
His formal horn studies began his senior year of Highschool with Adedeji Ogunfolu in San Antonio before continuing at the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance with a minor in German, graduating summa cum laude in 2023. During his time there, Adam Unsworth and Bryan Kennedy were his primary teachers. He subsequently earned a Master of Music in Horn Performance from Northwestern University in 2026, also graduating summa cum laude with Gail Williams, Jonathan Boen and Adam Unsworth as his primary professors.
As a highly sought-after musician, Landon’s professional experience spans an extensive range of musical settings and genres. His performances include appearances with the legendary Cynthia Erivo at the Hollywood Bowl; Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for the PBS documentary Chautauqua at 150: Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise, which aired on February 11, 2025; Jeezy; the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Gateways Music Festival; the Civic Orchestra of Chicago; the Adrian Symphony Orchestra; the Jackson Symphony Orchestra; and the Highland Park String Orchestra. His performance credits also include the U.S. premiere of My Hero Academia in Concert and The Witcher 3 in Concert. His work encompasses a diverse range of repertoire, from traditional symphonic literature to film, jazz, video game, and multimedia performances.
In his performing career, Landon has also given world premiere performances of various pieces, among which include his own works, the music of Jason Wise and most notably Anthony Plog’s 1st horn concerto. He has also made his Carnegie Hall Debut in April of 2025 with the Gateways Music Festival, an organization that “brings Black classical artistry to the forefront of the global stage.” Landon is also featured in “Clarinet Collisions,” a book focusing on breathing methodology, produced by Leslie Grimm, professor of music at Northwestern University. Besides performing, he also composes and arranges music and has contributed to various video game soundtracks for developers in the Ann Arbor area.
Outside of performing, Landon enjoys composing and arranging, exploring film and video game music, traveling, studying languages, and continuing his lifelong interest in gymnastics.