Johanna Yarbrough joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra horn section in 2012. She came to Detroit after completing a professional studies certificate at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Prior to her time in LA, Johanna attended the University of Alabama, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree. Johanna studied abroad at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway.

Johanna has won many prestigious awards, including first prize of the 2009 University division of the International Horn Competition of America. She has appeared as a soloist with the Detroit Symphony and has presented masterclasses and recitals throughout the country. She is a member of the Britt Festival Orchestra, where she performs for 3 weeks in Jacksonville, Oregon each summer. She has performed with several renowned orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Festival Mozaik, and the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival. She is a frequent guest artist with the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings.

Johanna’s principal teachers include Frøydis Ree Wekre, David Krehbiel, Andrew Bain, Charles "Skip" Snead, and Michelle Stebleton.

Johanna was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida and now resides in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Mark Abbott joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1982, immediately following his high school graduation. At age 18, he was one of the youngest appointees in the Orchestra’s history.

Prior to joining the DSO, Abbott attended Interlochen Arts Academy in 1981 and performed with the prestigious Spoleto Festival Orchestra and the Colorado Philharmonic as principal horn. As the winner of a national competition, he was a guest soloist with the New York Philharmonic for a performance of Strauss’ First Horn Concerto at a Young People’s Concert. Maestro Zubin Mehta invited Mr. Abbott to perform the same work at a regular subscription series the following year.

Mark has been a soloist for the DSO, the Colorado Philharmonic, Columbus symphony, and Indianapolis symphony.

Outside of the DSO, Mark is an avid cyclist—having competed in the Michigan senior olympics, and qualified for the National senior olympic games. He enjoys indoor spinning, boating and golf in his free time as well.

David Everson, Assistant Principal Horn, has been a member of the DSO since 1999. A native of Livonia, Michigan and the son of two musicians, David studied at the University of Michigan with the highly-regarded orchestral player and revered teacher Louis Stout. While in school, David was a member of the Flint and Toledo symphonies. Upon leaving Michigan, he accepted the position of Associate Principal in Kansas City, where he was eventually named Principal Horn—a position he held for 13 years. While in Kansas City, he was a frequent featured soloist with and founding member of the Grammy-nominated Kansas City Brass. David has been guest principal in the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

As an educator, David has served on the faculties of William Jewell College, Washburn University, and his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He has played in various music festivals around the country and is in demand as a clinician and chamber musician. He is also a sought-after private instructor and believes strongly in the development of future horn players. He taught for years at the Cranbrook Academy and continues to mentor students through the DSO's various education programs.

For the past eight years, David has also worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles. He can be heard on more than 150 soundtracks (including James Cameron’s Avatar, his first movie, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and has recorded with big names such as John Williams, James Newton Howard, Michael Giacchino and Alan Silvestri. "Hollywood," as he is sometimes called, can also be heard on albums by Josh Groban, Seth McFarlane, Idina Menzel, Barbara Streisand, and Neil Young.

David lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan with his wife, Jill. When he is not playing his horn he enjoys travel, fine wine, fishing, and golf.

Karl Pituch was named Principal Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in May, 2000. Before joining the DSO, Karl was Associate Principal Horn with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Principal Horn with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. He served as a guest Principal Horn for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra and the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra.

Karl can be heard on many recordings with the Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco and Honolulu Symphony Orchestras, on the DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts and as soloist with the Detroit Symphony in the John Williams horn concerto and Kerry Turner horn concerto.

Karl was the grand prize winner at the 1989 American Solo Horn Competition and has been a finalist at many other solo competitions. As a soloist, Karl has performed with orchestras in Japan, Hawaii, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida and Michigan. He has been a frequent guest artist at numerous horn conferences and serves as a board member and judge at the International Horn Competition of America. An active chamber musician, Karl has recorded with The DSO Wind Quintet and the Spring Wind Quintet, toured many times with the American Horn Quartet, and participated in chamber music festivals in Marlboro, Vermont; Crested Butte, Colorado; Kapalua, Maui; Kazusa, Japan and Freden, Germany (with the American Horn Quartet).

Karl is currently the horn instructor at Wayne State University. He has taught at the University of Hawaii and has given master classes across the U. S. He is a co-founder, along with Denise Tryon, of Audition Mode, an annual horn seminar specializing in audition preparation. Karl earned his degree from the University of Toledo where he studied with Mary Kihslinger. He also studied with Froydis Wekre and Dale Clevenger.

In 2014, Scott Strong was named Third Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He was born into a family of musicians in Iowa, and raised in the Dallas, Texas, area. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University, and completed his graduate studies at Rice University before joining the Louisiana Philharmonic. Scott is an active participant in many festivals, and has held positions in the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet orchestras, as well as the San Antonio Symphony. Scott has studied with Gregory Hustis and William VerMeulen.