Dan Wions

Dan Wions has served as Principal Horn of the Ocean City Pops since 2015. Music has been an integral part of Dan's life since early childhood. He began studies on piano at the age of two, composition at age five, and finally the horn at age nine. His performance experience is extensive, ranging from orchestral, concert band, chamber music, and solo repertoire, to pop, rock, show tunes, and jazz. Dan currently works as a substitute musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and My Fair Lady and Lion King on Broadway, while serving as Principal Horn of the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, Glimmerglass Opera, and the Distinguished Concerts International Orchestra in New York. He has been a finalist and semi-finalist in auditions with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Kennedy Center Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Delaware Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera, and Hartford Symphony. As a soloist, Dan has toured extensively as a founding member of Universal Brass Ensemble and has performed solos with regional and college ensembles throughout the United States. His teachers include Joe Anderer, Michelle Baker, Myron Bloom, Scott Brubaker, Tony Cecere, Peter Gordon, Michael Hatfield, Phil Myers, Erik Ralske, Rick Seraphinoff, and Chris Wilhjelm.

Dan holds a BM in Horn Performance, with outside studies in piano and composition, from Indiana University. He has attended numerous festivals, including the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland and the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland.  Currently, Dan splits his time between Philadelphia and New York City, performing, teaching, playing ultimate frisbee, and eating obscene quantities of raw fruits and vegetables.