Of course one of my favourite things in life is music and the French horn. One of my passions is nature, National Parks, and especially the beauty of America's SouthWest. Naturally, it is wonderful to combine these two things!
This photo was taken by a dear friend during a trip to Bryce Canyon, Utah - a trip inspired by Messien's "Des Canyons aux Etoiles" ("From the Canyon to the Stars"), and more specifically, the movement for solo French horn - Appel Interstellaire" ("The Interstellar Call").
This vivid piece draws inspiration from Utah's mighty Canyons and otherworldly beauty, and is a significant work for the French horn, as it was one of the first (and still most successful) contemporary works for solo French horn using extended techniques.
Hopefully someday soon I'll have my own rendition of this piece to post. For now, here is a favourite recording -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7PA8JsbD7k
Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France/ Myung-Whun Chung
Horn solist: Jean-Jacques Justafré