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San Francisco French Horn Player
William Klingelhoffer studied in Chicago with Stu Liechti, Nancy Fako, Frank Brouk, and Dale Clevenger. He began playing professionally with the Chicago Lyric Opera at the age of 19.
In the 40 + years since he has played Principal Horn for the Opera Companies of Chicago, Houston, and Santa Fe, played extra and toured with the Chicago and San Francisco Symphonies, played for Films, Radio/TV commercials, and Musical Shows, toured and recorded with the Summit Brass Ensemble, appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, given Masterclasses at International Brassfests held at Indiana University and Long Beach, California; University of Victoria, Canada; and Sacramento State University. Bill was a Guest Artist at the International Horn Society Symposium in 2009. The San Francisco Opera Horn section played excerpts from Wagner's Ring for the opening concert of the 2011 IHS Symposium at San Francisco State University.
Bill is a member of San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and has also performed and recorded with cabaret singer Wesla Whitfield. He plays on her album Livin' on Love with Klingelhorn colleagues Eric Achen, Alicia Telford, and Keith Green. On Wesla's website click on "Wesla's Jukebox" and "Alfie" to hear the Horn section.
A clip from Bill's arrangement of Bartók's Rhapsody for Unaccompanied Horn is available on this site.
You may also download the sheet music for the Bartók rhapsody and sheet music for a horn arrangement of Mozart's Ich Baue Ganz as played at the 2009 Horn Symposium.
Musical Family
His wife Jill Brindel is a cellist with San Francisco Symphony and the Navarro Trio.
Daughter Sarah Brindell teaches at Berklee College of Music in Boston, sings, and composes. He has two sons, Louis and Jacob. Check out www.myspace.com/sarahbrindell and click on "Little Sunflower", her tribute to Freddie Hubbard to hear some exciting and energizing Spring sounds from Flugelhorn player Yaure Muniz. "Sophisticated Lady" is another current favorite. It's not Duke E. but her own melody and harmony with a cool shuffling beat by drummer Nathan Sabanayagam.
Bill's sister Mary Stolper plays Principal flute for Chicago's Grant Park Orchestra. Click to hear the "Blackwood Rondo Caprice for Flute and Guitar" from her album Chicago Duos for Flute.
What Others Say...
“Dear Bill, Once again thank you ever so much for coming to us this summer and for your very fine performances of (Strauss’) Die Schweigsame Frau” — John O. Crosby, General Director, Santa Fe Opera
“Fueled by the flawless horn solos of William Klingelhoffer (Till Eulenspiegel) the orchestra was roused into zestful playing”— Charles Ward, Houston Post reviewing the Houston Symphony Orchestra
“The orchestra sounded wonderful…the horn obbligato before the second scene – a stretch of writing of almost concerto-like difficulty – was beautifully dispatched by William Klingelhoffer” — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle (Rossini’s Otello)
"What a thrill and honor it was to have you as a Featured Guest Artist.... In particular, your performance of the Mozart (Ich Baue Ganz) reminded everyone of the lyricism that underlies his concerti, and we really enjoyed the special performance of the Wagner and Rossini operatic selections. What a treat!"—Randall E. Faust Host, 41st Internatiional Horn Symposium
“ I wrote those horn solos for you...” — composer John Adams, San Francisco Opera world premiere, Dr. Atomic
“ Dear Bill, Your Masterclass, The Bel Canto and Wagnerian Horn Player, was very well received at the Long Beach Brassfest. Thanks for your participation.” — David Hickman, Summit Brass Ensemble
"In a high-energy program of Russian music, conductor Allan Pollack and his Festival Orchestra opened the 24th Mendocino Music Festival Season in grand style July 10 in the massive white tent on the Mendocino headlands bluff... Tschaikovsky's Fifth Symphony in E Minor, Op. 64, was the evening's highlight. The famous horn solo that begin's the second movement (after a long and muted introduction) was played tenderly and almost 'sui generis' by William Klingelhoffer." — Terry McNeill, Classical Sonoma