Jeff Nelsen is professor of horn at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and founder of Fearless Performance LLC, a company that focuses on training musicians and others to consistently perform their best. One of the many Canadian pig-farm-raised magician horn players in the world, he has thrilled audiences and mentored students for over 20 years.
Probably best known for the eight years he spent touring and recording with Canadian Brass, Nelsen has also performed concerti and chamber music on six continents, and in the horn sections of dozens of orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Montreal, and St. Louis symphonies.
Since giving his celebrated 2011 TEDx Talk about Fearless Performance, he has been training fellow TED Talk presenters, teachers, athletes, and business people in giving their own Fearless Performances. A huge Broadway musical fan, Nelsen played the premiere run of two Broadway shows that were nominated for Tony awards: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Sherman Brothers) and The Pirate Queen (Boublil and Schönberg). He has toured with popular entertainers including Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton, recorded with Michael Buble and the pop band Barenaked Ladies, and performed on dozens of movie and video game soundtracks. He most enjoys performing with his wife, mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen, on recital and orchestral pops series.
Nelsen gives back to the music community through his roles as president of the International Horn Society and as a member of the board of advisors for the International Horn Competition of America. Aside from creating musical magic, he is an enthusiastic magician and often adds touches of illusionary arts to performances. He recently reached a childhood dream of becoming a magician member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the world famous Magic Castle.
Indiana University • Professor of Horn
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