HornDanielle Kuhlmann

Praised by The New York Times for her “fearless” and “seductive” playing, San Diego Symphony Orchestra hornist Danielle Kuhlmann has traveled the world, performing with symphony orchestras and in chamber music concerts throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. After growing up in Seattle, Washington, she completed her undergraduate degree with Jerome Ashby at The Juilliard School and pursued graduate studies at Rice University under William VerMeulen. 

Following several years as a freelance musician in New York, Ms. Kuhlmann was most recently in Seattle, performing regularly with the Seattle Symphony and Opera. Additionally, she has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Colorado Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. An avid interpreter of new music, she is Principal Horn of the American Composers Orchestra, and she performs with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). She has been a featured soloist with the Seattle and Manila Symphony Orchestras, Novus NY at Trinity Wall Street and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, where she was also Principal Horn. In addition to classical performances, Ms. Kuhlmann is a founding member of the all-female pop Horn quartet Genghis Barbie. 

Devoted to philanthropic work, Ms. Kuhlmann has spent four summers in the Philippines volunteering for the group Cultures in Harmony, a New York-based NGO that promotes cultural diplomacy through music. The group works with both professional and student-level musicians as well as indigenous tribal youth. In January of 2011 she volunteered in Kabul, Afghanistan, teaching and performing at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. 

Danielle Kuhlmann joined the SDSO in 2014.