Meet John Degnan: UH’s Own Symphony Star
Not many people can say at age 25 that they have found their dream job, but John Degnan can. After a long process that included 90 candidates and blind auditions, John was hired by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra (or San Diego Symphony) as a member of the French Horn section. At the time he was interviewing, John was in the music master’s program at Rice University. But once he got the job with the symphony, he and his fiancé moved to San Diego and found a home in University Heights.
John’s musical journey began when he was introduced to the French Horn in 4th grade. He was fascinated by the unusual instrument and took to it immediately. John grew up in Jupiter, Florida and attended a magnet school for the arts. He credits his education at the High School for Performing Arts in West Palm Beach for helping him become a top-notch musician. He got a fully-paid scholarship to Vanderbilt University where he pursued a dual major in French Horn & Political Science. After graduation, he began the master’s program at Rice University until he was hired by the San Diego Symphony.
As a native Floridian, he knew he wanted to live somewhere warm and by the coast. He attended a summer academy in Santa Barbara when he was younger and fell in love with California. Ever since, his dream had been to move to Southern California to pursue his music career. John did not travel here alone, however. His fiancé, who is also a musician, came with him to the west coast. Her degree is in music education. She found a job teaching music to kids K-8 at Harriett Tubman Charter School. They love living in University Heights. The sense of a small community coupled with its location to all the important things (work, school, the beach) make it the perfect neighborhood for them.
When John is not playing with the symphony, he enjoys participating in a woodwind quintet called Presidio Winds. Additionally, John gives private lessons on the French horn and likes helping fellow musicians work out solutions in their playing.
John loves playing music at the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center in downtown San Diego, but his favorite performances are on summer nights when the symphony plays at the open-air venue, Rady Shell, by the San Diego Bay. Life as a member of the symphony involves a 42-week season, with rehearsals 2-3 days a week and concerts 2-3 days a week. The San Diego symphony consists of 5 French horn players and the conductor is Rafael Payare, a passionate Venezuelan whose background is with the French horn.
The summer symphony schedule begins at the end of June and there are frequent rehearsals that are free and open to the public. John encourages everyone to check out the Symphony’s website at www.sandiegosymphony.org and attend one of their concerts. He promises that it will be a memorable and rewarding experience.