Southeast Missouri State University will welcome more than 100 horn players from across the United States and around the world when it hosts the 2026 International Horn Competition of America (IHCA) August 27-30.
Held every two years, the competition is one of the premier events for horn performers, drawing university students, professional musicians, military band members, orchestra performers and university faculty. This year's competition marks the largest field of competitors in the organization's 45-year history.
Hosted by Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Music, the event will feature four days of performances, adjudication and networking opportunities. Competitors will vie for cash prizes, special awards and, for the professional division winner, an invitation to perform as a guest soloist with the Southeast Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra. All performances are open to the public and will be livestreamed through the SEMO Music YouTube channel, with additional coverage shared on IHCA social media platforms.
For Dr. Nicholas Kenney, chair of the Department of Music and professor of horn, hosting the competition represents a full-circle moment.
Kenney first competed in the International Horn Competition of America as a university student in 2001, and after years of training, became a finalist in the university division in 2009. Since then, he has served as an adjudicator, competed professionally and now serves on the organization's board of advisors.
"The International Horn Competition of America shaped who I am as both a musician and a person," Kenney said. "When I competed, I heard performances that are still ingrained in my memory. Seeing musicians who were only a few years older than me perform at such a high level showed me what was possible, but it also showed me how much I needed to grow. That perspective changed the trajectory of my career."
Unlike many competitions and auditions that shorten performances or reserve full performances for advancing competitors, every entrant performs an entire solo work before a live audience and receives individualized feedback from the adjudicators.
"As someone who once didn't advance, I know how valuable those conversations with experienced professionals can be," Kenney said. "Every competitor deserves the opportunity to perform, receive constructive feedback and leave with a clearer understanding of where they are and where they can go next."
Beyond the competition itself, Kenney said the event creates opportunities for mentorship and networking among performers at every stage of their careers.
"This is about much more than prizes," he said. "Students will hear outstanding performances, connect with professionals from major orchestras and universities, and gain an outside perspective on what excellence looks like. Those experiences can be incredibly powerful and can inspire students to reach a level they may not have thought possible."
The competition has attracted performers representing organizations including the Philadelphia Orchestra, The United States Army Band, the Panama Orchestra and universities throughout the United States and abroad.
Kenney said hosting the competition also gives SEMO students a unique opportunity to interact with internationally recognized performers without leaving campus.
"Our students will be able to meet and learn from musicians they've admired for years," he said. "Having those artists here creates an experience that benefits our students while also introducing many talented musicians to SEMO for the first time."
Competition performances will take place in Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall and Robert F. and Gertrude L. Shuck Music Recital Hall. Final-round performances and the awards ceremony will conclude the competition on Aug. 30.
For more information about the International Horn Competition of America, visit ihcamerica.org. To learn more about studying music at Southeast Missouri State University, visit semo.edu/music.