Layan Atieh is a Palestinian-American horn player currently residing in Chicago, Illinois. Layan is a member of Seraph Brass, a world renowned all-women brass quintet, as well the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Layan regularly performs with the Cleveland Orchestra and coaches the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO). She is passionate about chamber music and has performed at festivals around the world, including the Hidden Valley Festival of Winds, Domaine Forget, and the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, as well as orchestra festivals such as the Music Academy of the West. In 2022, Layan completed her undergraduate studies at the Peabody Institute under the tutelage of Robert Rearden, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. She earned her Master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard King and Nathaniel Silberschlag. 

 

Layan is passionate about community engagement and the intersection of politics and music, and is always finding ways to use music as a vehicle for connection across differences. Her work in Seraph Brass allows her to promote and highlight the artistry of marginalized identities, to bring performances and music education to underserved communities around the United States and across the world, and to open dialogue about the role of artists in society. In 2025, Layan served as the Arts Administration Fellow at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, allowing her to connect with the Chicago community on and off the stage. During her fellowship, she helped organize and perform in youth and educational concerts, as well as collaborative concerts with community partners, such as the Chicago Refugee Coalition. She also conceptualized and produced her own program, titled ‘Thread and Chord: A Dialogue Between Fashion and Music,’ an interdisciplinary performance exploring the relationship between artistic expression and cultural identity. In both Cleveland and Chicago, Layan has taught in public schools, deepening her commitment to music education and outreach, and regularly teaches while on tour with Seraph Brass. In 2025, she was honored as a Guest Artist at the International Women’s Brass Conference, furthering her advocacy for representation and innovation in brass performance. Outside of music, Layan enjoys a variety of sports, including martial arts, rock climbing, and, most recently, pickleball.