Bio

Renée Vogen will begin her new appointment as Assistant Professor of Horn at Texas State University in August 2025. She previously served as Instructor of Horn at Northern Illinois University and held adjunct faculty roles at DePaul University, Concordia University Chicago, and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Renée is a core member of the Chicago Philharmonic and has performed regularly with esteemed ensembles across the Midwest, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra, and Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Previously, Renée held the position of Third Horn with the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and second horn of the Lancaster Festival (Ohio). She has appeared as guest principal horn with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and is an experienced Wagner tuba player, having performed on the instrument with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and New World Symphony.

Outside of her work in the Midwest, Renée has performed as a substitute musician with the New World Symphony, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2019, Renée was awarded honorable mention at the International Women’s Brass Conference Susan Slaughter Solo Competition (Category II) in Tempe, AZ. Other honors include first place at the International Horn Society’s Horn Quartet Competition with the #quartet in Los Angeles (2015), and runner-up at the IHS Dorothy Frizelle Mock Audition Competition (Low Horn) in San Francisco (2011).

Her international work includes serving as a teaching fellow at the Youth Music Culture Guangdong in Guangzhou, China, performing with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavík, appearing with the Gil Evans Chamber Jazz Ensemble at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy (2012), and studying German as a DAAD summer exchange fellow at the Universität Potsdam in Germany.

Renée has given masterclasses at Penn State University, Western Michigan University, Illinois State University, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and has presented career talks for the Eastman School of Music Horn Studio and the Chicago College of Performing Arts Brass Area at Roosevelt University.

She earned her Master’s degree in horn performance from DePaul University under the tutelage of James Smelser, and her Bachelor’s in horn performance, Performer’s Certificate, and Arts Leadership Certificate from the Eastman School of Music under the instruction of W. Peter Kurau.