Brain, Alfred (Edwin)

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Brain, Alfred (Edwin)

Brain, Alfred (Edwin) English-born American horn player and teacher, brother of Aubrey (Harold) and uncle of Dennis Brain; b. London, Oct. 24, 1885; d. Los Angeles, March 29, 1966. After studying horn with his father, he pursued training with Borsdorf at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1901–04). He played in the Scottish Orch. in Glasgow (1904–08); then was principal horn in the Queen’s Hall Orch. (1908-16; from 1919) and also was a member of the London Sym. Orch. (from 1919). After serving as co-principal horn in the N.Y. Sym. Orch. (1922–23), he was first horn in the Los Angeles Phil. (1923-34; 1936-37) and the Cleveland Orch. (1934–36); was again a member of the Los Angeles Phil. (1943–44); also played in Hollywood film studios. In 1930 he became a naturalized American citizen.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire