Blaine Dodson

Blaine Dodson joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as its second horn after a successful audition in 2023. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he previously served as the second horn of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra from 2019-2023. Dodson has also played regularly as a guest in the horn sections of the Detroit Opera, Toledo Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.

Dodson holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he studied both music education and horn performance under the guidance of Gail Williams and Jonathan Boen. While at Northwestern, Dodson played frequently with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Shortly after winning the SLSO audition, Dodson completed his master’s degree in horn performance at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance, where he studied with Adam Unsworth and Bryan Kennedy.

In addition to his performance background, Dodson holds a plethora of teaching experience. He has enjoyed teaching a small private studio in his free time, as well as working with a number of schools’ band, orchestra, general music, and choir programs. Dodson has also taught classes in music theory and composition at the middle school and high school levels.

Outside of music, Dodson enjoys being active and spending time outdoors, with activities like hiking and swimming.