Mollie Pate
French Horn
From the dramatic horn solo accompanying Luke Skywalker’s gaze into the binary sunset in Star Wars, to the brilliant horn choir used to evoke the vastness of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings, horns have left an indelible mark on film, television, and video games. Mollie Pate is our fearless leader here at Louisiana Scoring who effortlessly commands all of the skills necessary to bring those cinematic moments to life.
With a 30 year career behind her, Mollie has been the principal horn of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and principal for the Mobile Symphony for the last 10 years. Her professional music career took root at Lamar University where she received her Bachelor of Music, followed by both a Master of Music degree and Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory.
One of her most notable recent achievements was recording Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, performing as fifth horn. On that same program, she stepped into the principal horn role for the first half, performing Haydn’s “Symphony No. 100 (‘Military’).” The experience stands as one of the highlights of her orchestral career.
A newer and exciting chapter of her work includes collaborating with Louisiana Scoring. Mollie has found the program to challenge her skills as a musician in the best way, noting that scoring work demands a refined skill set—particularly strong sight-reading and the ability to deliver polished performances. She states, “It’s definitely a different skill set! You have to be a good sight reader and just be ready to perform! I think it gives you another tool in your tool belt.”
Mollie’s performance experiences extend far beyond the classical stage. She has shared stages with iconic artists including The Who at Jazz Fest, Queens of the Stone Age, and Chicago. Earlier in her career, she performed with legendary figures such as Ray Charles, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Renée Fleming—experiences she describes as both inspiring and unforgettable.
Today, she frequently performs with the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, California, an orchestra she describes as exceptional both musically and personally: “It’s a wonderful orchestra with great people and musicians, and I feel so honored to perform with them!”
With Burning River Brass, she tours annually, especially during the Christmas season and primarily around the Cleveland area, but also in the Northwest, Georgia, and Florida. The ensemble has performed at prestigious venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition, she enjoys performing Broadway productions, including a favorite, The Phantom of the Opera.
Her recording career began in earnest after Hurricane Katrina, when she was called to Nashville for studio work. Over the years, she has also recorded in New Orleans at Esplanade Studios with Jay Weigel and other artists, further expanding her versatility as a musician.
Mollie’s excitement about working with Louisiana Scoring stems from the chance “to come together with other Louisiana artists and create great music.” Beyond music, she is committed to teaching and helping others grow. As the owner of CrossFit Nola, she supports clients ranging from veterans to adaptive and able-bodied athletes. She adds, “not only do I love music, but I also love teaching, from horn students, to people looking for ways to improve their health.” Aided by her deep passion for coaching and lifelong involvement in sports, Mollie has cultivated skills vital to environments that demand collaboration, adaptability, and dedication — environments like Louisiana Scoring. These hard-earned skills translate seamlessly into the recording studio, where such qualities are essential to creating an environment that brings out the best performances from everyone around her.
