Spotlight Series: YOP Alum Erin Lano Returns to Play Horn with Hometown Orchestra

Erin Lano, Associate Principal Horn of the Richmond Symphony, has had a long and varied career. Performances have taken her across the country to perform with ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and other nationally acclaimed orchestras. But for Erin, no performance experience is more memorable than those she has with the Richmond Symphony, her hometown orchestra growing up—and where she now performs in the brass section throughout the season. 

Erin was the third member of her family to play a brass instrument. Growing up, she listened as her father—who plays tuba—rehearsed weekly with his brass quintet. Her mother, who had played horn in school, would occasionally take out her old instrument and play along. When Erin began the horn, just before middle school, she played on her mother’s old instrument and took lessons with the hornist of her father’s quintet.  

Around one year later, Erin joined the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program, which was at the time called the Greater Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra. She played in YOP—alongside the bands at Providence Middle School and Monacan and James River High Schools in Chesterfield—all the way through her senior year.  

During her very first concert with YOP, she performed Copland’s Hoedown and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. At the time, she was also a member of Providence Middle School’s band, but as she’d only been playing horn for a little over a year, this was also her first time playing with a full symphonic orchestra.  

“It was incredible to sit in the ensemble with many older and more experienced players,” Erin said. “Hearing the added tone colors and expressive possibilities in that ensemble was eye opening.” 

While in grade school, Erin also performed as a member of the selective All-Virginia Orchestra for three years, picked among horn players from across the Commonwealth. There, she played her first Mahler symphony—which was a “dream of [hers]” to play as a young brass musician. Erin also spent summers at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Institute, Encore Music Camp of Pennsylvania, and Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. 

Following her graduation from high school, Erin attended New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts for her bachelor’s degree and Rice University Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas for her master’s degree. During this time, she performed with the Boston Philharmonic and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Afterwards, she began auditioning for orchestras around the country while juggling a teaching studio and freelancing for other gigs. Before landing back in central Virginia, she held roles with the Virginia Symphony in nearby Norfolk, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and the Britt Festival Orchestra located in Jacksonville, Florida. 

In the fall of 2015, Erin successfully won an audition with the Richmond Symphony as Associate Principal Horn and made plans to move back to her hometown. After beginning her first season with the Symphony, she knew that this would be the ensemble she stayed with for good. 

“My colleagues are so wonderful and the quality of music making is extremely high,” Erin said. “I enjoy the variety of programming in our season and the excitement around the orchestra that we feel from the community. I also just like living here, Richmond has so much to offer.” 

On top of performing as a core member of the Richmond Symphony, Erin also takes on the occasional gig with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, local churches, and studio recordings in the area. During the summers, Erin and her family—husband and bassoonist Matt Lano and their two young children—hit the road and drive to Indianola, Indiana, where both Erin and Matt perform 3 to 4 operas over the course of the Des Moines Metro Opera’s 5-week summer season. Outside of performing, Erin spends her free time tending to her garden, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. 

Reflecting on her journey from beginning hornist in YOP to Associate Principal Horn of the Richmond Symphony, Erin advises any students interested in a similar path to “go for it!” 

“You should be prepared to give it everything you’ve got,” Erin said. “Seek out a great teacher that works well with you and learn from everyone around you, teachers, fellow students, musicians on other instruments etc. Listen to as much music as you can, live performances and recordings. Be open to whatever opportunities come your way.” 

Though Erin was no older than 18 during her time in YOP, she credits the opportunity to make music at a pre-professional level so early on in her as studies both a deciding factor in her decision to study music and an invaluable way to learn repertoire that she would later go on to play professionally.  

“When I was fairly new to the youth orchestra, a friend of mine told me that you could get paid to play [in] a professional orchestra,” Erin said. “I thought that sounded like the best job I could possibly imagine so I went for it!” 

“I was very fortunate to play a lot of the standard orchestral pieces as a young musician. We played a lot of serious repertoire during my time in [YOP],” Erin added. One of her favorites? Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8—one of the pieces she played during her very first concert with YOP, which she recently revisited during the Richmond Symphony’s 2024–25 season. “I have played Dvořák 8 many times in my career. It is still one of my favorite pieces and there was something special about discovering it for the first time as a young musician.” 

To read more about Erin Lano, visit her biography on the Richmond Symphony’s website. Our monthly Spotlight Series is written by Anna Mitchell, Education & Social Media Coordinator. For inquiries, contact education@richmondsymphony.com.