February 1, 2026
- Tri-States Horn Day 2026 with 3pm guest performance by the Cobalt Horn Quartet
- Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Location: COFAC Recital Hall
- Description: The 3:00pm Guest Recital is free and open to the public.
Tri-States Horn Day is a regional celebration of horn playing that brings together students, educators, and community musicians from across the Midwest for an afternoon of music-making, learning, and connection.
Designed to be welcoming and accessible to horn players of all ages and experience levels, this event emphasizes community, shared artistry, and inspiration. Participants will take part in a group warm-up, perform in the Western Community Horn Choir, hear a guest artist recital, and observe an engaging masterclass led by professional performers.
Founded in 2017, Cobalt Quartet is a professional horn quartet comprised of four hornists and educators: Jena Gardner, Katie Johnson-Webb, Rose MacKenzie, and Caroline Steiger. In August 2018, Cobalt Quartet won the professional division of the International Horn Society Horn Quartet Competition.
Cobalt Quartet has presented performances and masterclasses at universities and conferences across the United States, most recently at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, University of Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Later this season, the quartet will perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio and at the International Horn Society’s Southeastern Horn Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Members of the ensemble hold positions at Western Illinois University, George Mason University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and in the United States Air Force Band of the West. Through their performances and masterclasses, Cobalt Quartet is dedicated to educating, engaging, and entertaining audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
- Related Web Site: Tri-States Horn Day Registration Info
- Contact Information:
Joanie Herbert
Phone: 3092981843
Email: JE-Herbert@wiu.edu - Source: School of Music
