Julie Thayer joined the Houston Symphony as fourth horn in the Fall of the 2009-2010 season. A native of Atlanta, GA, Julie attended The Eastman School of Music as an undergraduate where she studied with W. Peter Kurau. It was in Rochester that Julie began playing the horn professionally, first as a substitute with the Syracuse Symphony and then as acting fourth horn of the Rochester Philharmonic. Julie continued her studies at Rice Universityʼs Shepherd School of Music as a student William VerMeulen. While at Rice, she further honed her orchestral skills while subbing with orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, San Diego Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera.

In addition to performing orchestrally, Julie has also performed in recital at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Conservatory Series. After winning the low horn competition at the International Horn Societyʼs annual horn convention in 2004, Julie began to focus her studies and auditioning on low horn. While a student, Julie participated in numerous summer festivals including Breckenridge Music Institute, National Orchestral Institute, and Music Academy of the West, where she met her violinist husband in the summer of 2003. Julie enjoys cooking, quilting, running and especially traveling; she also enjoys keeping Southwest Airlines in business with frequent trips to San Diego to visit her husband who is currently the concertmaster of the San Diego Symphony.

How old were you when you started playing your instrument?
I was 12 years old when I began playing the horn.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you most like to do?
I would love to raise puppies, make wedding cakes, or be a ski instructor (even though I'm not a very good skier).

What are your favorite hobbies?
I love to quilt, cook/bake, run, paint, learn French, see movies, and shop (much to the dismay of my husband).

What is your favorite Houston destination?
Houston has so much to offer... I love the area around Rice, Central Market, Angelika Theater, Montrose in general, Brasil Cafe, and Baby Barnaby's, which have the best biscuits in town.