By Olivia Krauth–

Nearly 70 French horn players from 11 countries converged on University of Louisville’s campus this past weekend to compete in the 2013 International French Horn Competition being held by the School of Music.

The competition has been dubbed the “Olympics of Horn Playing” according to D. Bruce Heim, a horn professor and one of the festival organizers and hosts. In the competition, players were divided into two divisions, university and professional. Each division progressed through a series of rounds until the final round, which had two to six competitors. Prizes included chances for solo appearances and master classes at U.S. music schools, according to the official press release.

This was the second time the University of Louisville has held the competition. UofL last held this prestigious event in 2011, according to Heim. That year’s winners were Anthony Delivanis in the professional division, and Austin Larson in the university division.

Performances started on August 30th, and continued until the final rounds on September 1st.

Photo courtesy / Miles Ahead Music