Johanna Yarbrough will be the new horn professor at the MSU College of Music this fall.
When horn player Johanna Yarbrough arrives at Michigan State University this fall, she’ll bring with her a career defined by artistic depth, purposeful teaching, and a commitment to cultivating thoughtful young musicians. Yarbrough will join the MSU College of Music as associate professor of horn, succeeding longtime faculty member Corbin Wagner, who retires at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.
From her years with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to her most recent faculty position at Louisiana State University, Yarbrough has shaped a teaching identity that prioritizes curiosity, communication, and the development of the whole artist. She credits the foundation of that approach to the people who guided her through her own musical path, including Michelle Stebleton of Florida State University who gave her lessons from middle school through high school.
“I had a really high level of private lesson teaching from an early age, and while this wasn’t necessarily my intention to find a female teacher, I never felt that gender was a barrier at all,” Yarbrough said. “So, mentorship has been a really powerful thing for me in my own personal development, and it is a huge part of my pedagogy. I want to help students not just with their playing but with the full picture.”
While Johanna Yarbrough is sad to leave the students and faculty she loves in her current teaching position at Louisiana State University, she is excited to return to Michigan in part because it brings her closer to her partner and his son who live in Toledo.
That philosophy means a keen sense of belonging is crucial and lessons are interactive rather than one directional. She encourages students not just to execute the music, but to engage with it and understand their relationship to it. A student’s mindset is a key predictor of growth, so she looks for students who are open, curious, and willing to challenge themselves.
“I love when students are good communicators, where a lesson can be more of a dialog than it is a lecture,” she said. “I think attitude is everything, and ability is secondary to attitude. Someone who comes in eager, excited and open minded is the best fit for the kind of studio that I want to have.”
Her colleagues at MSU say that philosophy is a natural fit for the College of Music. Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium Chance Huiet says her background and approach will resonate quickly with students.
“Professor Yarbrough brings a wealth of top level performance experience to MSU, and I’m certain our students will quickly respond to and benefit from her outstanding playing, musicianship, and teaching,” he said.
While Yarbrough is deeply committed to education, she is equally aware of the realities students face – especially those navigating financial pressure while pursuing music degrees. She sees the tension students experience when balancing coursework, practice, employment, and debt.
“It’s a really delicate balance,” she said. “I wish that I could alleviate the financial burden for every student so that they could really focus and commit themselves 100% to their craft, but that’s not reality for most students. They miss some opportunities when they have the worry of debt alongside every decision that they make.”
Horn player Johanna Yarbrough (left) maintains an active performance schedule. At a recent Midsouth Horn workshop, she was a featured artist along with her friend, Valerie Sly who, happens to be the daughter of former MSU horn professor Jean Gaboury-Sly and current MSU Professor of Music Theory Gordon Sly.
A Background of Professionalism
Remaining grounded as both a performer and educator is, for Yarbrough, essential to good teaching. Continuing to perform influences not only her musicianship but her philosophy.
“It’s critical to keep engaged with my performance chops and with the performing world because it continues to answer the question of why,” she said. “Why are we doing this? Why am I dedicating my life to helping people go out and create? Why is music important, and what it can do for culture and for society?”
Her own career answered many of those questions early. After completing her undergraduate work – enhanced by her study in Oslo with legendary horn pedagogue Frøydis Ree Wekre – and earning a professional studies certificate at the Colburn Conservatory under David Krehbiel and Andrew Bain, Yarbrough won a seat with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra while still in her early twenties.
Johanna Yarbrough (center) in 2024 with colleagues from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra after a performance of Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony.
“I had a seamless and very early move from schooling to the professional world,” she said. “I was 22 or 23 when I won the DSO job and kind of grew up in the orchestra.”
It was there she met trombonist Kenneth Thompkins, now MSU associate professor of trombone, who remembers her blend of artistry and determination.
“Johanna and I played in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for several years sharing our mutual joys and difficulties in orchestral performance,” Thompkins said. “It was always a pleasure to hear Johanna play and wonderful to see her develop through the years. To be able to continue our relationship as friends and colleagues at MSU is wonderful. I am sure the MSU community will love her musicianship, teaching, engagement and winning spirit.”
Her early years in Detroit also shaped her understanding of the importance of belonging. Being the youngest member of her section as well as the only woman gave her insights that she now uses to nurture community within her studio.
“I learned how important it is to feel a sense of belonging, wherever you are,” Yarbrough said. “It’s something that is really important to me as a teacher, and as someone who’s leading the development of culture in a horn studio.”
Although Yarbrough’s professional arc moved quickly, her earliest connection to music began in Tallahassee, Florida. She first picked up the horn because of a mix of sibling rivalry and a drive to tackle a challenge.
“I am a somewhat competitive person, so the idea of getting to be better than my brother really fueled me,” she said. When her band director introduced the horn as “the hardest instrument,” she felt immediately drawn to it. “If I can be the best at the hardest instrument, then I guess that means I’m pretty special.”
Changing of the Guard
Corbin Wagner will retire after more than ten years of leading the horn studio at MSU. He and Johanna Yarbrough worked side-by-side in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and she counts him as an important mentor in her professional life.
When Yarbrough steps into the role currently held by Corbin Wagner, she will carry forward a connection that traces back to their shared season in Detroit. Wagner’s guidance during that period left a deep impression.
“Without explicitly being my teacher, he taught me so much about what it meant to be a professional musician,” she said. “He offered me a lot of guidance, and so I know through my own experience with him that his time at MSU is going to leave a lasting impression on the College of Music and the horn studio specifically.”
Justin Emerich, professor of trumpet and chair of the Brass Area, says that connection is meaningful for the program and for the students who will study with her.
“When Corbin announced his retirement, he gave us the opportunity to conduct a nationwide search for a new horn professor at MSU,” Emerich said. “As it turns out, he mentored Johanna during their time performing together with the DSO, and that connection has value for our students. Johanna is a true professional in performance and teaching, and she will continue Corbin’s legacy of high level work in the horn studio. We thank Corbin for his many years of dedication to MSU and wish him the best in this next chapter.”
With her mix of artistry, empathy, and clear eyed purpose, Yarbrough steps into her new role ready to continue that legacy of helping new generations of horn players find their own voice.
