Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia

Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, English horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995, is also an active soloist and chamber musician. In April 2005 she premiered Nicholas Maw’s English Horn Concerto, a piece commissioned for her by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Her performance of the work was subsequently broadcast on National Public Radio. She has also premiered works by David Ludwig and Joseph Hallman on The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series. 

Prior to joining The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms. Masoudnia played English horn with the Minnesota Orchestra for seven years. She was a participant in the Marlboro Music Festival for two summers and played concertos with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia (now the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia) and the New York Symphonic Ensemble on four tours of Japan and Southeast Asia. She is a featured artist on a CD of Beethoven and Triebensee oboe trios, released on the ASV Quicksilver label.  

A native of Philadelphia, Ms. Masoudnia graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with John de Lancie, former principal oboe of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Her teacher prior to that time was The Philadelphia Orchestra’s former English hornist, Louis Rosenblatt. 

Ms. Masoudnia is currently a faculty member of Temple University and the Philadelphia International Music Festival.

Photo: Matthew Hollerbash