Mark Almond

horn

Mark Almond joined the San Francisco Symphony as associate principal horn during the 2020–21 season. He joined the San Francisco Opera Orchestra as co-principal horn in 2016, and before that he was third horn for London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. Growing up in Bolton, England, Almond was taught to play horn primarily by Christopher Wormald, his local high school music teacher. He subsequently won principal horn positions with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Almond made his professional debut playing with the London Symphony Orchestra at age 19, and since then he’s performed as guest principal horn with numerous ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to playing the horn, Almond is an experienced hospital physician and has a PhD in immunology and virology from Imperial College London. He’s currently researching COVID-19 as a post-doctoral research scholar at the University of California San Francisco.