International Horn Society

What International Horn Society does

The International Horn Society (IHS), founded in 1970 and headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to French horn players worldwide. It serves a global community of professional, amateur, student, and educator horn players through a hybrid of publications, events, competitions, and educational programs. The organization has Country and Regional Representatives across multiple continents and claims to serve thousands of horn players globally.

IHS's product surface centers on three core content assets: the quarterly journal The Horn Call (published since 1971, available in print and digital with full archive access for members); the free monthly Horn and More newsletter (launched 2015); and the Orchestral Horn Excerpts database, a collection of 46 frequently auditioned orchestral works presented in original part formatting with multiple audio recordings, originally compiled by Daren Robbins. Supporting infrastructure includes a members-only website with archives, a Thesis Lending Library, and the Horn Call Podcast. The platform is a standard content management/payment processing stack (PayPal for transactions), with no proprietary software platform or AI capabilities disclosed.

The business model is membership-dues-driven (Electronic $40/year, Student $32/year with age cap of 26, Regular with print journal $65/year) supplemented by donations across tiered recognition clubs (Hampel through Gallay, $50 to $1,000+), named scholarship funds, product sales (books, back issues, CafePress merchandise), and event fees. The Friendship Project applies tiered pricing based on the UN Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, enabling subsidized or free memberships in lower-income countries. Revenue is highly diversified across thousands of individual members with no B2B or enterprise concentration.

Name

International Horn Society

Legal name

International Horn Society

Website

https://hornsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Horn Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1970 that serves French horn players worldwide through publications (The Horn Call journal, Horn and More newsletter), the Orchestral Horn Excerpts database, annual international symposia, competitions, scholarship programs, and the Friendship Project tiered-pricing initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Membership Organization

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Music Publishers (512230), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Horn music education
• Music membership organization
• Orchestral excerpts database
• Music publishing journal
• International music symposiums

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. Electronic membership at $40/year, student membership at $32/year, and regular membership with print journal at $65/year. The Friendship Project offers tiered pricing based on UN IHDI to provide access to members in economically diverse countries.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations (501(c)(3) nonprofit, Tax ID: 93-0773613) with named donor recognition clubs: Hampel Club ($50-99), Leutgeb Club ($100-249), Duvernoy Club ($250-499), Dauprat Club ($500-999), Gallay Club ($1000+). Legacy and planned giving options available.
3. Scholarship Accounts: Named scholarship funds including Walter Lawson Memorial Fund, Vincent DeRosa Fund, Philip Farkas Fund, Dorothy Frizelle Memorial Fund, Jon Hawkins Memorial Fund, Paul Mansur Fund, and Barry Tuckwell Fund. These fund competitions and scholarships for members.
4. Product Sales: Sales of the Orchestral Horn Excerpts book compiled by Daren Robbins, IHS: The First 50 Years publication, Horn Call back issues, and IHS logo merchandise through CafePress. Book available for purchase with member discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Horn Society is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes French horn performance, education, research, and repertoire worldwide. It sells annual memberships providing access to its quarterly journal The Horn Call (print and digital) and its complete archive since 1971, the monthly Horn and More newsletter, the Orchestral Horn Excerpts online database with audio recordings, member discounts, and a Thesis Lending Library. It also organizes international symposia, regional workshops, competitions, awards, commissioning grants, and networking directories for horn players, teachers, and instrument makers.

Product overview

The International Horn Society operates a membership-based organization centered around its flagship quarterly journal 'The Horn Call' (print and digital, since 1971) and the free monthly 'Horn and More' newsletter. The core digital product is the Orchestral Horn Excerpts online database with audio recordings, alongside physical and digital resources including an excerpt book by Daren Robbins. IHS organizes International Horn Symposia (58th in 2026, 59th in 2027) and supports Regional Workshops through grant programs. The society funds new compositions via Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Grants and runs multiple Awards and Competitions programs with named scholarship endowments. The IHS Shop provides online sales of sheet music, recordings, and merchandise. Networking services connect members with teachers, clubs, repair technicians, instrument makers, and dealers globally. The Friendship Project offers tiered membership pricing based on economic conditions in members' countries of residence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Horn Call: Official journal of the International Horn Society, published since 1971
• The Horn Call Podcast
• Horn and More
• IHS Symposia

Products and services

• The Horn Call The official quarterly journal of the International Horn Society, published since 1971 in February, May, and October, featuring articles, educational content, professional development materials, and news for horn players worldwide. Available in print (for regular members) and digital formats accessible to all members through archive access dating to 1971.
• Horn and More Newsletter A free monthly newsletter complementing The Horn Call with regular columns, personal stories, educational content, and horn-related articles. Distributed via email to both members and non-members, featuring international contributions in multiple languages with English translations.
• The Horn Call Podcast An audio podcast providing accessible content about horn playing, interviews, and educational material for the IHS community.
• Orchestral Horn Excerpts Online Database An online database of orchestral horn excerpts presented as they appear in original parts with multiple audio recordings of each excerpt performed by various orchestras. Includes 46 frequently requested works for orchestral horn auditions.
• International Horn Symposia Annual international symposiums bringing together horn players for performances, workshops, masterclasses, competitions, and educational events. Each symposium rotates among different countries worldwide.
• Regional Workshops and Assistance Grants Funding and support program for regional horn workshops worldwide, helping hosts organize and execute educational events for local horn communities.
• Awards and Competitions IHS-sponsored competitions including the International Horn Competition of America, Composition Contest, Orchestral Audition Competition (Dorothy Frizelle Memorial Award), Barbara Chinworth Project, and Horn Lesson Opportunity Program. Awards include Punto Award, IHS Service Medal, and Honorary Membership.
• Meir Rimon Commissioning Assistance Grants Funding program supporting the commissioning of new musical works for horn, providing financial assistance to composers and performers seeking new repertoire.
• Networking Services Directory Comprehensive directory services connecting horn players with teachers, horn clubs and choirs, repair technicians, instrument makers, instrument dealers, sheet music dealers, publishers, and recording labels worldwide.
• Thesis Lending Library Members-only resource providing access to academic theses related to horn performance, pedagogy, and research.
• Orchestral Audition Repertoire Book (Daren Robbins) A physical (and digital) excerpt book compiled by Daren Robbins, offering a compromise between comprehensive but hefty collections and convenient but deficient excerpt books. Includes 46 frequently requested orchestral works with original part formatting and multiple audio recordings. Available for purchase with member discount.
• Friendship Project (Tiered Membership) Adjusted membership program offering tiered pricing based on the United Nations Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), making IHS membership accessible to horn players in countries with economic constraints. Four pricing tiers across electronic and print memberships.
• IHS Shop (Online Music Sales and Merchandise) Online storefront offering sheet music, recordings, The Horn Call back issues, IHS logo merchandise via CafePress, and commemorative publications including 'IHS: The First 50 Years' book.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Horn Call journal published since 1971 with full archive access
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Percussive Arts Society: International nonprofit for percussion and drumset players with the Percussive Notes journal and PASIC annual convention. Largest of the single-instrument membership societies and a useful scale benchmark for IHS.
• International Clarinet Association: Membership society for clarinetists publishing The Clarinet journal and holding ClarinetFest®. Comparable in delivering journal, conference, research grants, and member-only content to a single-instrument community.
• National Flute Association: U.S.-focused nonprofit for flute players running an annual convention and publishing the Flutist Quarterly. Same membership-society archetype with a more regionally concentrated footprint than IHS.
• International Trombone Association: International membership organization for trombone and bass trombone players, publishing the ITA Journal and hosting annual workshops. Closely mirrors the IHS structure of journal, symposium, and instrument-specific community.
• International Trumpet Guild: Membership-based nonprofit dedicated to trumpet players, publishing a peer-reviewed journal and hosting an annual conference. Operates the same instrument-specific professional society model as IHS, with membership tiers, scholarships, and competitions.
• North American Saxophone Alliance: Nonprofit organization for saxophone players holding an annual conference and producing scholarly publications. Comparable mid-sized instrument-specific society serving students, professionals, and amateurs.
• International Tuba Euphonium Association: Nonprofit professional association for tuba and euphonium players, with a peer-reviewed journal, annual conference, and student competitions. Directly comparable member-society model for low-brass instruments.
• American Viola Society: Membership nonprofit for viola players publishing the Journal of the American Viola Society and hosting workshops. A smaller instrument-specific society exhibiting the same member-journal-conference model.
• International Double Reed Society: Global membership organization for oboe and bassoon players, publishing The Double Reed journal and hosting an annual conference. Applies the same instrument-specific nonprofit association structure as IHS.

Broad incumbents

• International Society for Music Education: Broader music-education membership organization with a global footprint and peer-reviewed journals. Not horn-specific, but a relevant incumbent adjacent to IHS's educational and community-building mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@internationalhornsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/HornSociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/international_horn_society
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-horn-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Horn Society