Jonathan Snyder with his French horn
Jonathan SnyderPerformer · Composer · Educator · Arts Leader
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About Jonathan Snyder

Performer.
Composer.
Educator.
Arts leader.

Jonathan Snyder is a Las Vegas-based horn player, composer, arranger, and educator.

Biography

Based in Las Vegas since 2016

Dr. Jonathan Snyder is a horn player, educator, arranger, and composer based in Las Vegas. He currently teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada, where his courses have included Music Fundamentals, Music Appreciation, and horn studio class. He also maintains an active private studio for students ranging from beginners to advanced performers.

Jonathan moved to Las Vegas in 2016 after working as a freelance musician in Southern California. He is a tenured member of the Oregon Coast Music Festival and holds principal horn positions with the Nevada Chamber Orchestra and Las Vegas Summerlin Symphony. He also serves as fourth horn with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra in a volunteer position.

Oregon Coast Music FestivalTenured Assistant Principal Horn
Nevada Chamber OrchestraPrincipal Horn
Las Vegas Summerlin SymphonyPrincipal Horn
Henderson Symphony OrchestraFourth Horn · Volunteer position
Jonathan Snyder holding his horn beside the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Super Bowl LVIII pregame show · Las Vegas, 2024

Performance

In Las Vegas and beyond

Jonathan regularly performs with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Opera Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Sinfonietta. He has performed and recorded for Las Vegas trumpeter and bandleader David Perrico, toured in Europe, and appeared with artists including Sarah Brightman and Yoshiki.

His recording of Balys Dvarionas’s Concerto for Horn and Orchestra was the first studio recording of the Lithuanian concerto. In 2024, Jonathan performed in the Super Bowl LVIII pregame show in Las Vegas.

Jonathan was a founding member of the Red Rock Wind Quintet and performed with the ensemble through 2019.

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Research & recognition

Underperformed horn repertoire

Jonathan has appeared as a contributing artist and presenter at the International Horn Symposium, CSN Brass Day, and the Southwest Horn Workshop. His research and performances have focused especially on underperformed horn repertoire from Central and Northern Europe.

In 2022, he won first prize in the Charleston International Music Competition’s age 30-and-over category and second prize—with no first prize awarded—in the professional division of the MEDICI International Music Competition. For both competitions, he performed Olivier Messiaen’s Appel Interstellaire from Des Canyons aux étoiles….

Composer & arranger

Original music and ensemble arrangements

Jonathan received the 2012–2013 Sherrill C. Corwin Metropolitan Theater Award for his orchestral composition The Last Hope. His arrangements for horn ensembles have been performed in the Czech Republic and throughout the United States.

More recently, he premiered Searching for Peace at the 2026 Southwest Horn Workshop, and the University of Nevada, Reno premiered his horn octet A New Day. His music has been commissioned and performed by university ensembles and chamber groups across the country.

Compositions and arrangements →
Jonathan Snyder playing French horn

Teaching

A practical and sustainable approach

Jonathan’s teaching is shaped by an unconventional path through music, technology, architecture, visual arts, and elementary music education. Those experiences help him work flexibly with students and focus on what each individual musician actually needs.

During his doctoral studies, an overuse injury forced Jonathan to rethink his approach to horn playing. The experience led him toward a more sustainable and mindful approach to technique that continues to inform his studio.

His students have been accepted into All-State and local honor ensembles as well as university music programs. He works with young beginners, college students, advanced performers, and adult learners, helping them build strong fundamentals, confidence, independence, and a personal connection to music.

Private horn lessons →

Explore the work

More than a biography

Performance

Freelance horn performance, orchestral work, touring productions, and recording.

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Music

Original works and arrangements for horn, horn choir, and chamber ensembles.

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Lessons

Private horn instruction for school-age students, college musicians, and adults.

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Media

Solo performances, multitrack projects, recordings, and collaborative videos.

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Contact

Performance, music, lessons, and collaborations

For professional inquiries, include the relevant dates, location, ensemble or project details, and the best way to respond.

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Follow & listen

Connect with Jonathan