Brain, Aubrey (Harold)

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Brain, Aubrey (Harold)

Brain, Aubrey (Harold) English horn player and teacher, brother of Alfred (Edwin) and father of Dennis Brain; b. London, July 12, 1893; d. there, Sept. 20, 1955. He studied horn with his father, and then at the Royal Coll. of Music in London with Borsdorf (1911–13). In 1911 he was made principal horn in the New Sym. Orch. in London; in 1913 he played in the orch. of the Beecham Opera Co. From 1922 to 1930 he was a member of the orch. of the Royal Phil. Soc. and the Queen’s Hall Orch. in London; also pursued a solo career from 1923, and held the posts of co-principal (1923–24), principal (1924–28), and again co-principal (1928–29) horn in the London Sym. Orch. From 1930 to 1945 he was principal horn in the BBC Sym. Orch. in London. He later played in the Philharmonia Orch. in London (1948–50). From 1923 to 1955 he was prof, of horn at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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