Horn Testimonials

“Cantesanu horns are incredibly versatile, play with ease in all registers, have excellent intonation and a beautiful sound. They are extremely well crafted instruments that are a joy to play.”

“I first came across a Cantesanu horn when an amazing player from Canada came to work with us here in New Zealand and play on one herself. She sounded great and seemed to play so effortlessly, so naturally myself and some other members of our horn section were intrigued.
When Felix very kindly sent us over one of his “stunt” horns to play with it was life changing. I loved the feel of the horn, the sound and the easy way it felt to play it.
Although I was happy on my Alex, my gut told me it was time for a change.
I was nervous at first as I was about to order and pay for a horn I had never tried - ahhhhh!
Felix was absolutely flawless to communicate with and everything was super easy. I loved his level of detail, passion and genuine personality.
After several emails back and forth my horn arrived in NZ. It was incredible!!
As soon as I picked it up it felt like home and I have never looked back. I love how reliable it is, the sound it makes and the way it feels.
Thank you Felix!”

“Having had one of his leadpipes fit to my yamaha and loving what it did for the horn, it was logical that I looked to Felix when I had the opportunity to get a whole new instrument. The horn is a joy to play and I’ve received nothing but great feedback on how it sounds in the hall. It centres very well and moves smoothly and with ease throughout the entire range. A powerful low end and a sweet high range, this horn really does everything I ask of it. The most remarkable feature, in my opinion is the response and projection allowing for pianissimos that reach the back of the hall and fortissimos that positively fill the space. I feel that the best instruments get out of the way of the musician and allow them to make the music that’s in their head –this horn does that. Thanks for making such a fine horn, Felix!”

“I don’t know what you’re building into your horns to make them great, but I like it! I sold my Berg and my Rauch horns because I like my Cantesanu horn much better. Enough said!”

“I’ve played my Cantasanu horn at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for about five years and I’m still very happy with it. I’m not the type of person who is interested in new horns or mouthpieces so when Felix approached us in the orchestra to try his horn, I joined in just for fun. I had been playing on my Yamaha 667V for about 15 years, I’d won my jobs on it and I wasn’t considering a change at all.
Felix’s horn really caught my attention from the first notes, everything felt and sounded similar to the Yamaha, just easier. After I played for my colleagues, did some recordings in the hall and played a few concerts it was clear that the Cantasanu was more centered, in tune, projected better into the hall and was overall easier to play accurately. My only concern to switch was that I loved the colour and expressiveness of my Yamaha so much, I worried that I couldn’t get the same depth with the new horn but a few playing tests sorted that out. The Cantasanu sound was better overall and consistent over the registers. The Yamaha had a few incredible notes that really rang out but it was inconsistent and was a struggle to sound even and in tune. It was a no-brainer to me to buy this instrument, it sounds better and is easier! It’s made my life and my job 20% easier for sure.
Since buying the horn when we come back to a piece in orchestra that we played before, I had previously written in so many alternate fingering and added slurs or articulations to work around the quirks in the old Yamaha and now I can play exactly as written easily with less struggle and its more in tune!
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“I got the new horn Friday and was immediately able to put it through its paces [...] In general, I feel on this horn I am able to play with a much more colorful sound. The horn locks in amazingly well in fortissimo, especially in the high range. It’s so easy to play up there. And after 2 days of heavy programs, I am not tired at all this morning! There is a natural brightness to the sound that blends great with the rest of the section. The intonation of the horn is exactly the same as on my original Model C, so the horn also responds in pianissimo exactly as I expected it would. I didn’t lose the soft end of my dynamics. So my dynamic range has increased, and I have a larger and more colorful tonal palette.
I love the horn! It plays exactly like I hoped it would. Your horns are amazingly consistent- I was able to play it on concerts with no adjustment time, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you again for making such excellent, consistent horns!”

“I love playing my Model C horn. Its sound is vibrant, colorful, and clear. It carries effortlessly in the concert hall. At the same time, nuance and finesse in the chamber music setting is so easy. Its response, flexibility, and intonation are outstanding. I love this horn.”

“I am very happy with my new Model C. My goal was to switch to a Knopf/Geyer type horn in yellow brass (having played ambronze horns a long time), and the Model C is great for me because it plays rather free and open, with quick response and excellent intonation. In the mid and low range, I’m able to choose F or Bb fingerings as needed for technique or color. The valves are of the highest German quality, and I really like the mechanical action. No more strings!
The instrument feels plenty powerful in the orchestra, yet I can blend into the textures easily. The Model C is a really fun horn to play!”

“My Cantesanu Model C horn has been a joy to play on. When I first tried a Cantesanu horn, I was impressed with the open, ringing quality of sound and the incredible evenness through the entire range of the instrument. Now, I am equally confident playing high or low, loud or soft and this horn has allowed me to take my playing to the next level. It is a great instrument! Thank you Felix, for your fine craftsmanship and skill in creating a truly wonderful horn.”

“When I ordered my Model C horn I didn’t know much about it at first, I just listened to the good things I heard about Felix Cantesanu and his skill as a horn maker.
I played many different European and American types of horns before. My Model C was beyond any expectation from the first note, from the first second... Why? because for me, the C plays just the way I blow, it plays the way that I play; there are many great brands of horns out there but in my experience you have to make some adjustments to play those, not in this case, the C plays just the way I want a horn to play.
Besides the craftsmanship, The C model offers a full color palette in all the registers to bring alive my musicianship.
In large orchestra situations, chamber music, solo work or Latin jazz band I always find that that the C is capable of everything.
In the end I believe C stands for Confidence.”

“One week in early 2008, on a free week with the MSO, I went to play with the Alabama Symphony, and the section was raving about a new horn, Felix’s first instrument. I have the utmost respect for each member of that section. If these outstanding players, using different instruments (one Rauch, one Schmid and two Paxman 25L’s) with different approaches to playing, all agreed on one horn, I knew I’d be happy with it too and ordered one the next week.
The Principal Horn of the section had already ordered one, so when his arrived I tried it. It was a pleasure to play, with a warm sound and easy response. Most notable was the free blowing feel - I started yoga classes the next week so I’d be ready to control the airflow properly! (Best thing ever - thank you, Felix!) I love that this horn demands that one play correctly, yet makes it easy to do so.
When my horn was ready I was on vacation with family (including my brother who also plays horn, and my vocalist mom and niece), and, hearing the Model C side by side with the Paxman, they agreed that Felix’s horn had the more lively sound that really gets your attention. Back in Jackson, my colleagues in the MSO were also impressed with the beauty and liveliness of the sound, my increased endurance, better accuracy in the high register and ease of playing.
Felix’s horn has enabled me to give freer, more musical performances because I’m less worried about what the horn is going to do, or not do. The horn responds willingly. The tone can be huge or delicate; it can come from everywhere or out of nowhere. It comes through with power for Mahler 5, yet I can match anyone in my wind quintet.”

“The Cantesanu Model C horn is a versatile instrument capable of a wide range of styles in music. It is very easy to play lightly and delicately in a Haydn symphony, bold, dark, and powerfully in Wagner, and brilliantly and bright in music of the 20th century and beyond. I feel equally comfortable on this horn in chamber orchestra or large symphony orchestra. I have been fortunate to have always owned fine instruments on which to perform, and the Model C is no exception. The extreme ranges of the instrument are spectacular. The low notes are easy to play with a full, rich sound, and the high notes are clear and well in tune. The amount of resistance is just right to allow soft, secure attacks, yet the horn doesn’t feel tight when playing loudly, as it has just the right amount of freedom to put as much air into it as you want to without feeling like you are wasting any. I have had the rare opportunity to play four of these horns at the same time, numbers 1, 37, 38, and 40. Number 1 being Felix’s personal instrument, 37 (mine, I am the 2nd owner, but play tested it as new,) 38, the shop’s trial horn, and 40 the day it was finished being built. If I were blind folded, I would not have been able to tell the difference between them. The build quality and playing consistency from one to the next is superb. I cannot say enough great thing about these Model C horns. I have play tested many of the latest “Geyer” style horn copies, and this one is the best choice for me.”

“Dear Felix,
I absolutely love my Cantesanu. The sound is rich and easy, the response is very fast and the intonation is excellent. This combination of playing characteristics makes the horn a wonderful tool for everything from solo recitals to large orchestral works. You have managed to build an instrument that combines a wide palette of expressive capabilities with the mass and presence to project in any situation. This horn has made me a better player.”

“The horn for me is a perfect blend of the free and open qualities of a conn 8D and the beautiful colors and overtones of the old Geyer horns. I played an N series 8D before this and I had absolutely no problems in the switch and have not played an 8D since. The horn is very stable throughout all registers making it feel very comfortable and slotted!! There is virtually no feeling of “guessing” where the notes are! Low register in particular is the most fun!! The horn speaks instantly and slurring is just so easy, meaning there is very little to no tension in the design. But the biggest plus for me is the sound! Being a freelance player in NY, I am constantly playing in very diverse situations. It has this unique ability to blend with any other horn type effortlessly and then shine out gloriously when needed. For me it basically takes away the mechanical and technical aspects of playing the horn and frees me up to just concentrating on playing music and having fun doing that!
I have played My Model C serial #19 with the hand hammered bell continuously since I picked it up from Felix over 5-6 years ago now. Thank you, Felix!”

“As lifelong Paxman player, I appreciated the similarity in airflow feel with the Cantesanu horn. I needed a new horn that wouldn’t require a major adjustment to my breath, yet was built differently in weight distribution. I remember the day when my customized Cantesanu arrived, wondering if I dared bring it to a recording session that evening. That advice of “breaking in” a new instrument for a few weeks? It didn’t apply here! I sounded great in the session, played my new horn as effortlessly as though it had been mine for years.”

“I received my horn a little over a year ago and I can’t stop singing its praises. Felix’s horn plays evenly throughout all registers and feels very free blowing. The low register is big and open, and the high register is very secure. I love all of the colors I can get with my sound on this horn as it is very flexible and blends well with many other models.
The horn also looks as pretty as it plays. The attention to detail and craftsmanship put into the horn are outstanding. You can really tell that Felix takes great pride in the product that he is putting out there. Everyone that sees my horn comments on how beautiful it is.
Thank you Felix for designing a truly beautiful instrument. I look forward to playing it for years to come.”