CAROLYN HOVE has been the solo English horn player in the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1988. Following her graduation from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, until she assumed the English horn position with the San Antonio Symphony in 1986, Hove had an active music career in the Chicago area, where she performed with numerous ensembles and was a member of the faculties of Elmhurst College and Northern Illinois University. It was at this time that she developed her enduring interest in new music as the result of her association with prestigious Contemporary Chamber Players of the University of Chicago under the direction of composer/conductor Ralph Shapey. Hove has appeared as a soloist in many venues, including a recital on the acclaimed Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago and appearances with the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many other leading ensembles. In 1993, she performed the U.S. premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Second Meeting, for oboe and piano, on the Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella New Music Series, with pianist Gloria Cheng. In 1995, she performed the U.S. Premiere of Salonen’s Mimo II (a work derived from Second Meeting) for oboe and orchestra, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In Los Angeles, in March of 1999, she performed to critical acclaim the world premiere of William Kraft’s Encounters XI: The Demise of Suriyodhaya for English horn and percussion, which was followed by a repeat performance in Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center in New York. This work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and written for Hove and Raynor Carroll, the orchestra’s principal percussionist. In January 2003, Hove performed the world premiere of William Kraft’s Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by its Music Director, Esa-Pekka Salonen. The work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and written expressly for Hove. In addition, she has premiered works by Gerhard Samuel, Paul Turok, Patricia Morehead, and many others.

In 1996, Crystal Records released her first solo CD, entitled 20th Century Music for English Horn and Oboe, which includes the premiere recording of Salonen’s Second Meeting. Her second CD, entitled “Ascending to Superlatives” was released by Crystal Records in 2000 and features the English horn in various chamber settings, including premiere recordings of works by William Kraft, Gerhard Samuel, Paul Turok, and others. Her third solo CD, entitled Eclecticism, was released by Crystal Records in June of 2011. It features premiere recordings of works for English horn by Beethoven, Ravel, Richard Lane, Patrician Morehead, Jeffrey Rathbun, Rolf Rudin, and John Steinmetz.

Hove maintains a busy schedule as a teacher whose activities have included guest lectureship at leading music schools throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada including the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School (London), the Royal Northern College of Music (U.K.), The Banff Centre (Canada), the University of Texas, Ithaca College, and the Music Academy of the West.

Since 2005, Hove has presented the annual summer four-day “English Horn Master Classes with Carolyn Hove,” which originally took place at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In 2009/10, the venue was changed to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and expanded to five days. The 2011 classes were held from June 21-25 at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.

Hove has served on the Executive Committee of International Double Reed Society.