Graduating musician takes his talents to national stage — and beyond

From Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House to the national brass competition in Atlanta, graduating senior Connor Schwarz has no shortage of performance experience for a 21-year-old.

The accomplished CWU French horn player, who completed his degree in music performance this spring, won first place at the state and regional level and continued on to represent CWU on the national stage in March.

Schwarz described a state of surprise when he heard the unexpected news that he qualified for the national competition.

“It was a little bit of a shock at first. I wasn't expecting that, especially because with this competition, all categories of brass are included,” he said. “I think my brain immediately shifted back to, I've got to get practicing, I've got to get it to the next level.”

At the request of his French horn professor Dr. Jeff Snedeker, Schwarz competed at the state level by picking two different pieces from different time periods, both performed at CWU last September.

For the regional competition in December, Schwarz submitted a video recording of himself playing the same two pieces. He selected Sur le Cimes by Eugene Bozza and the first movement of Horn Concerto by Reinhold Gliere. Schwarz also played both pieces at his recital on May 17 in the McIntyre Music Building.

“It's definitely been interesting to see my own development throughout,” said Schwarz, who grew up in Ellensburg. “Some involuntary memorization of parts in them that I've run through more than other parts. There is one section that is just burned into my muscle memory at this point.”

After traveling to Atlanta, Schwarz performed the same two competition pieces after only one rehearsal with his assigned accompanist. He described facing unique challenges when deciding how to position himself and his horn facing the opposite direction from what he was used to, explaining that his notes included finding certain sprinklers on the ceiling as markers for where he should stand.

“I had to figure out how I wanted to arrange myself playing in a hotel ballroom so it didn't sound weird,” Schwarz said, adding that he received feedback from the national competition judges that he will use to continue improving his craft.

“I really enjoyed the whole thing,” he said. “I played how I wanted to. I enjoyed myself while I was playing.”

Schwarz cited the end of the competition in Atlanta as a “cool moment” and one of his favorite memories throughout the series of competitions. He had an opportunity to speak to Snedeker and his wife after the performance.

“My mom and my grandpa were also there, and it was great to talk to all of them,” Schwarz said. “I wasn't in the usual headspace of thinking of things I could have done better; I was like, ‘well, I did the performance, I am happy that I'm not in the burning hot room anymore, and whatever happens, happens.’ It was a nice development for me.”

Schwarz began his journey with the French horn because his eighth grade band was missing a French hornist, so he stepped into the role. He has been taking lessons with Snedeker ever since — a relationship that has lasted all the way through his college career. 

Lasting Memories

One of the main reasons he looks back on his time in the CWU music department so fondly is the time he got to spend alongside a practiced professional like Snedeker. Since they met when Schwarz was in middle school, Snedeker guided Schwarz to be involved in solo ensembles and instructed him to play pieces that would suit him.

As a result, Schwarz went to state for the WMEA/WIAA solo ensemble during all four years of high school, although he wasn’t able to attend the event senior year due to the pandemic.

In addition, Schwarz played in the all-state ensemble all four years of high school, and he had an opportunity to compete during his senior year before everything shut down.

He moved on to nationals in three of those years, and he was then invited to audition for the Honors Performance Series international group. Naturally, he made the most of his audition and was selected for the prestigious honor.

“I got to play in the Sydney Opera House, which was a really cool experience,” Schwarz said, adding that is one of his favorite music buildings in the world. “The second one I got to play in was Carnegie Hall in New York. The places I can say I have played at 21 years old — the list keeps growing, and it's certainly an interesting list that I don't think people always expect.”

With a vast array of performance experience already behind him, Schwarz looks forward to the many future possibilities for his budding musical career.

“There is always more that you can do. There is not necessarily an ability ceiling; you can always improve,” he said. “You're not going to win everything, and especially with music; there is not necessarily one particular right answer.”

He explained that every musician interprets music in different ways, and every individual hears music differently in their own head. That leads musicians to acquire their own preferences and styles.

“That's something I've been working on within myself a lot,” Schwarz said. “I think I am finally accepting that in my brain, so I am not as hard on myself when I don't win something.”