Maurice Murphy

Maurice Murphy (1935-2010) was a British trumpet player who was principal trumpet with the London Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 2007. He played featured solos on the film scores of The Dark Crystal (on the overture) and Labyrinth (the tracks "Thirteen O'Clock" and "Home at Last").

Murphy began his horn playing career as solo cornet with the Black Dyke Mills band in 1956. In 1961, he joined the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra and was frequently featured (on cornet, trumpet, or both) in radio concert broadcasts, Midday Proms, and in musical biographies of composers and conductors. He stayed until 1976 but continued to be heard on a guest basis as late as 2000.

During Murphy's time with the London Symphony Orchestra, he was heard on many film scores, notably John Williams' scores for Star Wars (both the original trilogy and the three prequels) as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman. He performed on albums by Frank Zappa, Björk, Tom Jones, and Andrea Bocelli. He remained an active player on film soundtracks until his death, including The Dark Knight, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Hans Zimmer's score for Sherlock Holmes.