Like the British Invasion of the 1960s, music from Great Britain will reach American audiences in this upcoming faculty recital.

Martin King began piano lessons in the first grade, switching his preferred instrument to horn after fifth grade. Now, a horn professor at WSU, King performs compositions created by horn players that have either spent their careers playing in Great Britain or were born there.

As the School of Music sets up their yearly calendar, faculty give at least one recital per year as a general rule, King said. Every year, professors decide on the music they want to work on next and themes they would like to explore in their recitals. For King, the music itself comes first in his decision process.

“It’s finding something that unites all those pieces together that sets the theme,” King said.

In this concert, King chose pieces that heavily influenced his life, and especially his horn playing. For example, the Rosetti D-minor Concerto—as performed by Michael Thompson—had been one of his favorite pieces for many years and represents exactly how he strives to sound in his performance. Going off of the great influences in his horn playing, King also found that some of his greatest inspirations spent a significant amount of time playing in the British Isles.

Dennis Brain, one of the horn players showcased, performed the Mozart Horn Concertos in the first horn CD King owned. Although tragically dying from a car accident in his thirties, Brain greatly influenced horn playing today, King said.

Barry Tuckwell, known for bold statements and romantic-era music, presented another aspect of French horn playing that influenced King. Originally from Australia, Tuckwell spent the majority of his career performing in England.

Both Michael Thompson and another horn player, Richard Watkins, were good friends of King’s primary horn instructor. His teacher always held them up as examples of what to strive for, he said. Listening to recordings and studying their playing influenced him the most.

The last few weeks of preparation posed the biggest challenge for King. As a physically demanding instrument, horn playing can really challenge endurance, he said. Although every recital differs, the struggle to maintain peak performing level continues through every concert.

“I try to think of myself as an interpreter. I’m representing the composer’s intention to the audience,” King said.

The faculty artist recital, titled “British Invasion, Music of the Great Horns,” will take place at 8 p.m. tomorrow in Bryan Hall Theatre. Admission is free to WSU students. General admission is $10 and $5 for seniors and non-WSU students.