PRESS
Twigs break, cans bang and LA Philharmonic soars with Mahler
Mark Swed, October 3, 2014
"The playing by the L.A. Phil was a sensation. The symphony begins with a terrifying trumpet solo. Thomas Hooten nailed it and the further terrors that followed. Principal horn Andrew Bain brought effusive beauty to the horn solos (which he played standing) in the Scherzo. But the greatest glory was hearing all the brass and all the orchestra follow their many leaders."
Emanuel Ax’s Brahms Project concludes climactically
Mark Swed, May 2, 2014
"But it was in the more personal, rapt chamber music moments, that Ax really shined, whether reacting to Andrew Bain's radiant French horn opening solo or understated elegance of Robert deMaine's cello solos in the slow movement."
LA Phil brings immediacy to Corigliano's Symphony No. 1
Mark Swed, March 7, 2014
"Corigliano's symphony is a study in what, in our minds, connects and what doesn't, as we begin to lose them. Dudamel used Brahms to put everything together. This time the last movement wasn't just exuberant or unbounded Brahms, it was unbuttoned. He used Brahms to put everything right. The L.A. Phil strings were lushly impressive as they had once been in Brahms under Carlo Maria Giulini. Andrew Bain's idyllic horn solos hung in the air as if they were meant to stay there."
Esa-Pekka Salonen and an electrifying L.A. Philharmonic
Mark Swed, December 2, 2012
"But more interesting are the sudden shifts of tone, which Salonen focused on. The slow movement, with its eloquent horn solo (beautifully played by Andrew Bain), erupts into grotesque weirdness. Salonen gave the Scherzo a kind of ghoulish humor that is not so funny when the orchestra explodes, as though a bomb has been dropped on the dance hall."
Review: Mahler returns to the L.A. Phil, Korngold in tow
Mark Swed, October 27, 2012
"The symphony opens with a solo fanfare that terrifies first trumpets. The L.A. Phil's new principal Thomas Hooten nailed it and all else. His tone is bright and brilliant. He served almost as soloist in the first movement and proved a little too hard to miss elsewhere as he unfailingly cut through the dark tone that Harding went for in the blended strings and the restrained winds. In this context, Andrew Bain's rich and nuanced horn solos became a highlight."
Worth the wait: Simon Rattle triumphantly returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic
CK Dexter Haven, May 7, 2012
"There were nine hornists (four of which doubled as Wagner Tubists) during the Bruckner, only four of which are officially on the LA Phil’s roster. Leading the way was Horn Principal Andrew Bain sounding as robust and smooth as ever. What an outstanding addition to the orchestra he has been!"