Joseph Berger is Associate Principal Horn of the Oregon Symphony, a position he has held since 1988. Prior to winning his position in Oregon he completed his music degree at The Juilliard School and was active as a freelance horn player in the New York area. He has performed with many orchestras throughout the country including the Honolulu Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Seattle Symphony. In addition to his work with the Oregon Symphony, Joseph is an active performer playing in solo recitals and festivals throughout Oregon, including Chamber Music Northwest, the Bach Festival, and the Astoria Music Festival. The Bach Festival in 1998 included a Grammy winning recording of the premiere of Penderecki’s Credo. Joseph played solo horn in the Arizona Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle (where he met his wife), played principal horn in the Chautauqua Music Festival in Chautauqua, NY, and often performs Wagner productions by the Seattle Opera. He also performs regularly with several chamber groups locally including Third Angle and 45th Parallel.
Joe received his bachelor’s degree in music from the Juilliard School in 1987 where he studied with James Chambers. Other teachers have included James Decker, Julie Landsman, and John Cerminaro.
In addition to music, Joe enjoys many other activities such as riding his bicycle and motorcycle, hiking, skiing, building artistic furniture, and spending time with his family, which includes two awesome sons: Jake and Leo (12-year-old Jake just started playing the horn as well!).