Mary Beth Orr
Adjunct FacultyMary Beth Orr is a versatile classical hornist, folk vocal artist, arranger and composer dedicated to creating deep human connection through music. Celebrated for her distinct blending of classical French horn performance with the rich, soulful vocal traditions of her Appalachian heritage, she leads audiences on a poignant journey that bridges diverse genres and traditions.
A multi-award-winning artist, Orr is a PARMA/Navona recording artist and serves on the roster of Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates. She holds the position of tenured third horn with the Grand Rapids Symphony and serves on the faculty at Hope College and the Interlochen Arts Camp. Her orchestral engagements include frequent performances with prominent ensembles such as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Grant Park Music Festival. On the chamber stage, she performs regularly at the St. Augustine Music Festival and made her debut at the Spoleto Festival USA as a featured recital soloist with her mixed ensemble, Femme Forte.
Orr鈥檚 soloist career is marked by international acclaim. A first-prize winner in the Professional Division at the International Women鈥檚 Brass Conference Solo Competition (2019) and a second-prize winner at the International Horn Competition of America (2013), she has earned top accolades across numerous prestigious global platforms, including the Sound Espressivo Competition, Golden Classical Music Awards, American Prot茅g茅 and the Charleston International Solo Competition. In August 2021, she made her European debut at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany, followed by a soloist debut at Carnegie Hall in May 2022. Her honors also include being named a finalist for The American Prize in Instrumental Performance (2023) and Performance of American Music (2027).
A passionate champion of contemporary music and diverse voices, Orr was featured in Vox Novus鈥檚 Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame project, performing and recording 15 original one-minute works written specifically for her. In March 2025, PARMA Recordings released her debut album, The Singing Horn, featuring these commissioned works alongside her own original compositions and folk arrangements. The album earned a Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards for Outstanding Folk Album and garnered critical praise from international publications including the International Horn Society, Plastic Magazine (UK), Revista, FVM, and Sistra.
Her creative momentum continues with major upcoming project premieres, including Her Midnight Ride (The Story of Sybil Ludington) 鈥� a new solo work for horn and voice commissioned by the Grand Rapids Symphony 鈥� premiering in March 2027, alongside a second call for scores for a new performance project that same year.
Outside the concert hall, Orr remains an active collaborator within the Grammy Recording Academy community, writing, arranging and recording horn tracks for artists across genres to continuously expand the classical horn鈥檚 reach and sonic versatility.