About Us – Kansas City Horn Club

The Kansas City Horn Club (501)(c)(3) was co-founded in 2013 by Natalie Higgins and Stacy Lendt. KCHC was created to provide horn players in the area a medium in which to express their musical talent and share their enthusiasm for the horn. The horn is a versatile instrument with an extraordinary range that is rarely heard in band and orchestra music. There is a plethora of literature available for horn choir that does highlight the capabilities of the instrument.

OUR MISSION: We exist to enrich the Kansas City fine arts community; support and educate young musicians; increase community awareness of musical styles and the art of horn playing; and connect horn enthusiasts of every career and background.

OUR VISION: To provide educational programs and performance opportunities to horn players of all ages and walks of life.

Directors

Gavin Lendt – Music Director and Arranger.

Gavin is an award-winning composer, conductor, and horn player. Known mostly for his band works, he is also a recognized composer of music for orchestra, choir, solo instruments, and small ensembles, and writes music for YouTube and Twitch content creators. He has received several commissions throughout the United States, and his music has been performed all over the world. Most recently, his work “A Wind in Time” was selected as a winner of the 2021 Grand Mesa Music Composition Contest. In December of 2022, he premiered his large-scale work for orchestra and choir, “Living in the Light.”

His music is known for incorporating rich harmonies and dramatic counterlines. Both students and teachers find his music accessible and enjoyable to play. Many high school bands have received superior ratings at contests performing his works.

Gavin studied composition at the University of Kansas with James Barnes and has had private instruction with luminary composers such as Stephen Melillo, John Mackey, Julie Giroux, Charles Rochester Young, and Gabriela Frank

An avid horn player, Gavin has performed with the Topeka Symphony, Kansas City

Civic Orchestra, Hollywood Hills Orchestra, and the Lenexa Orchestra. Gavin is also the musical director and arranger for the Kansas City Horn Club, a nonprofit organization designed to share enthusiasm and increase interest for the horn. Gavin lives in Lenexa, Kansas, with his music educator wife, Stacy.

Visit gavinlendt.com for more.

Stacy Lendt – President and Youth Ensemble Director

Stacy is an accomplished freelance musician and private horn instructor based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. With over two decades of experience providing private lessons, her expertise extends to working with students at various music camps and over nine years serving as a middle school and high school band director.

In 2013, Stacy co-founded the Kansas City Horn Club. As the president of the Horn Club, she orchestrates opportunities for horn players of all ages and backgrounds to come together, sharing their passion for the horn and music through performances and educational programs. Stacy holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master of Music Education Degree from the University of Kansas, where she studied horn under the guidance of Professor Dr. Paul Stevens.

Stacy’s musical journey extends to her current roles, performing with the Olathe Civic Band, Overland Park Orchestra, Lenexa Orchestra, and the De Soto Brass Band. She also performs throughout the Kansas City area with her husband (fellow horn player and composer), Gavin Lendt.

Diverse musical experiences have played a pivotal role in shaping Stacy’s teaching style and solidifying her music education philosophy. For her, it’s paramount that students not only achieve their goals but also enjoy the process of learning about music.

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