James Thatcher began his professional career at the age of 16 when he played and studied in Mexico City with his uncle, Gerald Thatcher, former principal hornist with the National Symphony of Mexico. Subsequent instructors have included Fred Fox, Don Peterson, Wendell Hoss, James Decker, Vincent DeRosa and master classes with Hermann Baumann. Mr. Thatcher has been a member of the Phoenix Symphony, the Utah Symphony the Pacific Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

He is currently principal horn of the Pasadena Symphony, the New West Symphony and the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, but principally he is a studio player, a recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award from the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences and "arguably the most often heard horn player in the world" due to his performances on some 70 to 80 films per year for the last 20 years.

Jim has the enviable position of being the favored first horn of multiple Oscar winning composer John Williams performing in such films as Always, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Sleepers (in which he received an on-screen credit), Nixon, Schindler's List, JFK, Sabrina, Home Alone, Rosewood, Seven Years in Tibet and The Patriot as well as the fanfare for the 1992 Olympics. He also works regularly with other Hollywood greats Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, John Barry, James Horner and Alan Silvestri to name a few and can be heard as well in the tracks to Glory, The Rocketeer, Field of Dreams, Monster House, X-Men: The Last Stand, Robots, Spider-Man 3, Ice Age, Polar Express, Beowulf, Dances with Wolves, Toy Story, Cars, Maverick, Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, Constantine, National Treasure, Transformers, The Simpsons Movie, Night at the Museum, Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, King Kong, Signs, Lady in the Water, Peter Pan, First Knight, Hook, as well as Independence Day, and the Star Trek films. Most recently, Mr. Thatcher was deemed principal horn in James Newton Howard's soundtrack of The Last Airbender directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

 

2012     Snow White & the Huntsman         Horn
2012     The Amazing Spider-Man [Music from the Motion Picture]     James Horner     French Horn
2011     Sucker Punch         French Horn
2010     Repo Men         Horn
2009     Public Enemies [Score]     Elliot Goldenthal     Horn
2009     The Uninvited [Original Motion Picture Score]     Christopher Young     Horn
2009     Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -- The Score     Steve Jablonsky     Horn
2009     Watchmen [Original Motion Picture Score]     Tyler Bates     French Horn
2008     Appaloosa [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Jeff Beal     French Horn
2008     Bolt [Original Score]     John Powell     Horn
2008     The Express [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         Horn
2008     Hancock [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Powell     Horn
2008     Harps and Angels     Randy Newman     Horn
2008     Indiana Jones: The Complete Soundtracks Collection     John Williams     Horn
2008     Marley & Me [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Theodore Shapiro     Horn
2008     Max Payne [Original Score]     Marco Beltrami     Horn
2008     Tropic Thunder [Original Motion Picture Score]     Theodore Shapiro     Horn
2007     August Rush         Horn
2007     Bobby [Original Motion Picture Score]     Mark Isham     Horn
2007     Disturbia [Original Motion Picture Score]         Horn
2007     Gracie [Original Motion Picture Score]     Mark Isham     Horn
2007     Hairspray [2007 Original Soundtrack]         Horn
2007     Next [Music from the Motion Picture]     Mark Isham     Horn
2007     Pirates of the Caribbean [Box Set] [Collector's Edition] [4 CD/1 DVD]     Horn
2007     Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Horn
2007     Shooter [Music from the Motion Picture]         Horn
2007     Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2007 Soundtrack]         Horn
2007     The Number 23 [Original Motion Picture Score]     Harry Gregson-Williams     Horn
2007     The Simpsons Movie: The Music [Original Soundtrack]     The Simpsons     Horn
2007     Transformers: The Score [Original Motion Picture Score]     Steve Jablonsky     Horn
2006     Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School     Mark Adler     Horn
2006     The Nativity Story [Original Motion Picture Score]     Mychael Danna     Horn
2006     We Are Marshall [Original Motion Picture Score]     Christophe Beck     French Horn
2006     X-Men: The Last Stand [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Powell     Horn
2005     An Adventure Story of Steamboy     Steve Jablonsky     Horn
2005     Constantine [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]      Brian Tyler     Horn
2005     Dark Water [Original Score]     Angelo Badalamenti     Horn
2005     Elektra [Original Motion Picture Score]     Christophe Beck     Horn
2005     King Kong [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         Horn
2005     Meet the Fockers [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Randy Newman     Horn, Principal
2005     Munich [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Williams     Horn
2005     The Interpreter [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Newton Howard     Horn
2005     The Island [Soundtrack]     Steve Jablonsky     Horn
2005     The Legend of Zorro [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Horner     Horn
2005     The Skeleton Key [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         Horn, Principal
2005     Timeline: Music Inspired by the Film     Jerry Goldsmith     Horn
2005     War of the Worlds [Music from the Motion Picture]         Horn
2004     Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Horner     Horn
2004     Day After Tomorrow     Harald Kloser     Horn, Principal
2004     Flight of the Phoenix [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Marco Beltrami     Horn
2004     Hidalgo (Music Composed by James Newton Howard     James Newton Howard     Horn
2004     I, Robot [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Marco Beltrami     Horn
2004     Miracle (Original Soundtrack)     Mark Isham     Horn
2004     National Treasure (Original Score)     Trevor Rabin     Horn
2004     The Village (Original Score)     James Newton Howard     Horn
2003     Agent Cody Banks         Horn
2003     Beyond Borders [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Horner     Horn, Principal
2003     Dreamcatcher [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Newton Howard     Horn
2003     Identity [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Alan Silvestri     Horn
2003     Jeepers Creepers 2 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         Horn, Principal, Soloist
2003     Looney Tunes: Back in Action [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Jerry Goldsmith     Horn
2003     Matchstick Men [Original Score]     Hans Zimmer     Horn
2003     Passionada [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Harry Gregson-Williams     Horn
2003     Paycheck [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Powell     Horn, Principal
2003     Peter Pan [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Horn, Principal
2003     Scary Movie 3         Horn, Principal
2003     Seabiscuit     Randy Newman     French Horn, Soloist
2003     Taken [Original Television Score]     Laura Karpman     Horn, Principal
2003     Tears of the Sun [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Hans Zimmer     Horn
2003     The Last Samurai [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Hans Zimmer     Bass
2003     The Rundown [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Horn, Principal
2002     Antwone Fisher     Mychael Danna     Horn
2002     Blade II     Marco Beltrami     Horn
2002     Ice Age [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     David Newman     Horn
2002     Panic Room [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Howard Shore     Horn
2002     Signs [Original Motion Picture Score]     James Newton Howard     Horn
2002     Star Trek: Nemesis [Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Horn
2002     The Affair of the Necklace [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     David Newman     Horn
2002     The Emperor's Club [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     James Newton Howard     Horn
2002     The Tuxedo [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Debney     Horn
2002     Unfaithful [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Jan A.P. Kaczmarek     Horn
2001     Along Came a Spider     Jerry Goldsmith     Horn
2001     Black Knight [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Randy Edelman     Horn
2001     Evolution [Original Score]     John Powell     Horn
2001     Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back [Original Motion Picture Score]         Horn
2001     Life as a House [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Mark Isham     Horn
2001     The Glass House [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Christopher Young     Horn
2000     The Hurricane [2000 Score]     Christopher Young     Horn
1999     For Love of the Game     Basil Poledouris     French Horn
1997     Amistad     John Williams     French Horn
1997     Conspiracy Theory     Carter Burwell     Horn
1996     Sleepers [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     John Williams     French Horn
1993     Seaching for Bobby Fischer     James Horner     Unknown Contributor Role
1992     Grand Canyon [Original Soundtrack]     James Newton Howard     French Horn
1990     Always [Original Score]     John Williams     French Horn
1989     Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Horn
1987     Harry and the Hendersons [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]     Bruce Broughton     French Horn
1985     Cocoon     James Horner     Horn, Soloist
1985     The Color Purple [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         French Horn
1984     Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom     John Williams     Horn
    Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey: Music from the Motion Picture [Score]         Horn
    He's Just Not That Into You [Score]     Cliff Eidelman     Horn
    Human Target: Season 1     Bear McCreary     French Horn
    Role Models [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         Horn
    Throw Momma from the Train [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]         French Horn

Welcome

Newest Members