Principal French Horn Jonathan Boen Retires After Forty-Six Years

by Neil Kimel

At the end of the 2024-2025 season, Jon Boen will retire from the Lyric Opera Orchestra after 46 years as principal horn. Jon studied at Northern Illinois University under Bill Klingelhoffer who was a previous principal horn at Lyric. Bill invited Jon to the pit for the first time to assist him on Die Meistersinger with Ferdinand Leitner conducting. Quite the baptism of fire to opera! Jon played one season as 3rd horn at Lyric under another principal horn Gail Williams and he also played for 6 months in the Colorado Symphony. When Gail won her position with the Chicago Symphony, Jon won the principal horn position at Lyric in 1979.

He played principal horn on Lyric Opera’s only tour when they traveled to Guanajuato, Mexico to open the Cervantes Festival in 1979, performing Verdi’s Don Pasquale.

A revered educator, Jon taught at his alma mater Northern Illinois University for 4 years, DePaul University for 27 years, and he has been teaching at Northwestern University since 2012. A testament to his teaching, he has had dozens of students go on to major careers in countless orchestras including the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago.

In addition to being principal horn at Lyric for 46 years, Jon was principal horn for 27 summers with the Grant Park Orchestra. He recorded countless jingles, was principal horn with Music of the Baroque, a busy chamber musician, and soloist.

Jon is married to another Lyric Opera Orchestra musician, violinist Laura Miller, and he has two daughters. In past years away from the horn, Jon enjoyed remodeling his homes and growing a vast garden before he and Laura settled into a condo downtown.

Audiences and his colleagues will miss Jon’s trademark, golden sound, musical expression and vast experience in the world of opera. Congratulations on your next act, Jon!