Layne Anspach

Biography

Layne Anspach is a teacher, performer, and composer/arranger from Bloomington, IN. 

Anspach enjoys performing in a variety of ensembles.  He currently performs as the 4th Horn in the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with other Southern Indiana symphonies. As a chamber musician, he performs with brass quintets, wind quintets, and other chamber ensembles – with a particular interest in the wind and piano repertoire.  Having performed dozens of unique recitals, Anspach appreciates the challenges of the solo repertoire. In 2019, Anspach was a finalist in the International Horn Competition of America – University Division, Fort Collins, CO.  Anspach performs on a Sorley Horn and is a Sorley Horns Artist.

In addition to being the Adjunct Instructor of Horn at Valparaiso University, Anspach teaches at the Stafford Music Academy in Bloomington, IN and maintains a private studio.  He previously taught at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music as the Associate Instructor of Horn and at The Ohio State University as a Teaching Assistant in Theory and Aural Skills.  Most recently, Anspach served on faculty at the Csehy Summer School of Music for the 2021 season.

Along with performing and teaching, Anspach actively composes and arranges.  Focusing on composing chamber music, Anspach has written works for Piano Trio, Saxophone Quartet, and Mixed Brass Trio among others.  He focuses most of his writing efforts on arrangements for horn and piano where he has transcribed works by Brahms, R. Strauss, and Schumann to name a few.

Additionally, Anspach strives to further academic research on the horn.  He has research interests in lesser known and underappreciated works for the horn – such as works by Ludwig Spohr, Charles Koechlin, and Franz Strauss.  In May 2021, Anspach’s article “Together through Music: A Conversation with Thomas Jöstlein” was published in The Horn Call, the International Horn Society’s journal.

Anspach holds a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a Master of Music from The Ohio State University.  He is currently ABD for his Doctor of Music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.  His teachers include Richard Seraphinoff, Thomas Jöstlein, Bruce Henniss, Dr. Lin Foulk Baird, and Debra Inglefield.

While not focusing on music, Anspach enjoys spending time with his family.  His hobbies include fishing, hiking, traveling, and an amateur ‘foodie.’