The new Principal Trumpet of Los Angeles Philharmonic, Thomas Hooten was born in Tampa, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Florida and his Master of Music degree from Rice University. His primary trumpet teachers have included Armando Ghitalla, John Hagstrom, and Don Owen. 

In 2000, Hooten earned a trumpet/cornet position with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C., where he was often a featured soloist. While living in the D.C area, Hooten was active in chamber and orchestral music, performing with groups including the National Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, Washington Symphonic Brass, Arlington Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony. While still in the Marine Band, Hooten won the 2nd trumpet audition with the Richmond (VA) Symphony, and continued to work with them through 2004. 

Following his four-year enlistment in the Marine Band, Thomas won the Assistant Principal Trumpet position with the Indianapolis Symphony – a position that he held for two years. During his time in Indianapolis, Hooten won auditions for principal trumpet in both the Houston and Atlanta Symphonies. He acted as Principal Trumpet in the Atlanta Symphony from 2006-2012.

Hooten has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, United States Air Force Band, Keystone Winds, and Richmond Symphony Orchestra. He has given master classes and recitals at Juilliard, Northwestern University, Indiana University, Mannes School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Universities of Kentucky and Illinois, and many other locations throughout the United States. Hooten has appeared as a guest principal with the Saint Louis Symphony, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and last season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. For the last two summers, Hooten 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 coachings to a diverse range of professional and student musicians.

Since 2006, Hooten can be heard on numerous Atlanta Symphony recordings on the Telarc label – including Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy and Gandolfi’s Garden of Cosmic Speculation. He just released his first solo album in 2011, Trumpet Call.