Who even am I?
Meet Landon Young!
Currently appointed member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra horn section as a Paul J. Ross Fellow.
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!
In the year 2018 while in San Antonio, Landon established his roots in his formal training with Adedeji Ogunfolu, current LA recording artist and member of the Pacific Symphony. Landon earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 2023, studying under Adam Unsworth and Brian Kennedy, graduating with highest honors and a minor in German. In 2025 Landon completed his graduate studies, earning Master's degree from Northwestern University under the tutelage of the legendary Gail Williams, Jonathan Boen and Adam Unsworth with his new appointment that same fall.
Before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony, Landon shared his musical talent as a freelance musician in Eastern Michigan and the Chicagoland area. He performed as the 4th horn for the Adrian Symphony Orchestra and as both Principal and 4th horn for the Highland Park Strings Orchestra. Landon's journey has been marked by passion and skill, accented by his performance as co-principal horn with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for the PBS Documentary “Chautauqua at 150: Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise,” which aired February 11th 2025. Additionally, he has performed and toured with world renown artists such as Percival Shuttenbach (the band behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) and Jeezy, the hip-hop artist.
In his performing career, Landon has 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 music, Landon enjoys traveling, learning and speaking foreign languages (German and Japanese) as well as watching and practicing gymnastics.