Principal Trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Thomas Hooten was born in Tampa, FL. He earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of South Florida and his Master of Music from Rice University, and his primary trumpet teachers have included Armando Ghitalla, John Hagstrom and Don Owen. Hooten teaches trumpet at the University of Southern California
In 2000, Hooten earned a trumpet/cornet position with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band in Washington, DC, where he was often a featured soloist. While living in the DC area, he was active in chamber and orchestral music, performing with groups such as the National Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Washington Symphonic Brass, Arlington Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. While still in the Marine Band, Hooten won the Second Trumpet audition with the Richmond (VA) Symphony and continued to work with the orchestra through 2004.
Following his four year enlistment in the Marine Band, Hooten won the Assistant Principal Trumpet position with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a position that he held for two years. During his time in Indianapolis, Hooten won auditions for Principal Trumpet in both the Houston Symphony and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He acted as Principal Trumpet in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 2006-2012.
Hooten has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, United States Air Force Band, Keystone Winds and Richmond Symphony Orchestra. He has given master classes and recitals at The Juilliard School, Northwestern University, Indiana University, Mannes School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Kentucky, University of Illinois and many other locations throughout the United States. In addition, Hooten has appeared as Guest Principal Trumpet in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Grand Teton Music Festival and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and he has served on the faculty for the Aspen Music Festival, acting as a guest artist and teacher. While in Atlanta, he shared a studio with his wife at Kennesaw State University, where they provided lessons, master classes and performance coaching to a diverse range of professional and student musicians.
Since 2006, Hooten has been heard on numerous Atlanta Symphony Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label, including Alexander Scriabin's "The Poem of Ecstasy" and Michael Gandolfi’s "The Garden of Cosmic Speculation." He released his first solo album in 2011 entitled Trumpet Call, and released Hooten Plays Williams, a collaboration with the legendary John Williams, in 2019.
