Kurt Civilette joined the CMS faculty in 2010; he is a freelance performer and teacher based in Lansing, Michigan. He holds several permanent orchestral positions in the area including principal horn with the South Bend Symphony (IN) and principal horn with Midland Symphony (MI). He is also 3rd horn in Flint Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Traverse City Philharmonic. As a member of the South Bend Symphony principal wind quintet and Ann Arbor Symphony Brass Quintet, he performs dozens of chamber concerts and educational concerts every year. He is frequently asked to play guest principal, playing that role with Ann Arbor, Flint, Michigan Opera Theater, Ft. Wayne, Kalamazoo, Saginaw Bay, Traverse City, Windsor (ON), and West Michigan Symphonies. In past freelance work, he has played extra with Detroit, St. Louis, Utah, Toledo Symphony Orchestras, as well as Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Michigan Opera Theater. As a soloist, he recently performed 1st horn on the Schumann Konzertstuck in South Bend and Carbondale, and played the John Williams horn concerto with Midland and El Paso Symphonies, as well as numerous Mozart and Strauss concerto performances throughout the years.
For 15 years spanning 1995–2010, Kurt was full-time 3rd horn/associate principal with New Mexico Symphony Orchestra in Albuquerque, substituting as interim principal horn for the entire 2001-02 season. Before winning the permanent job in New Mexico, he held temporary positions as principal horn with Charleston Symphony (SC), acting principal horn of the Savannah Symphony (GA), and assistant principal with Honolulu Symphony. While in New Mexico, he was also 3rd horn with Santa Fe Symphony and appeared with Santa Fe Opera orchestra. As a young freelance musician based in Chicago, he appeared with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park, Jacksonville, and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras, and played many commercial jingles and recording sessions.
During the summers, Kurt plays principal horn with the Southern Illinois Music Festival in Carbondale and the Baroque on Beaver Music Festival on Beaver Island, MI. He has appeared in various U.S. and international summer festivals including Spoleto Festival in USA and Italy, the Assisi Performing Arts Festival (Italy), Diffwinds Festival in Luxembourg, Kumamoto Festival in Japan, and Music from Angel Fire. In 2022 and 2023, he was on the horn faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp, working with top high school horn players from all over the country and the world.
