The National Concert Band of America (NCBA), founded in 1974 by veterans and legendary players from each of the Washington-area military service bands, has named Falls Church resident Adrian Holton as its seventh music director and principal conductor. Holton will kick-off the band’s 45th anniversary season with a free concert for the public on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Alexandria.
Holton, who currently serves as a trumpeter with the United States Air Force (USAF) Band Ceremonial Brass in Washington, D.C., is also an adjunct faculty member and assistant director of the Maryland Band Directors Band at Montgomery College.
Holton’s military career began in 2012 as a trumpeter with the USAF Academy Band in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he performed with the Concert Band, Marching Band and Stellar Brass. He also served as the music director and conductor of both the USAF Academy Cadet Orchestra and Colorado Springs Brass, and guest conducted the USAF Academy Band on multiple occasions. Additionally, he was a conducting fellow for the Inaugural Reynolds Conducting Institute at the 2018 Midwest Clinic.
Among his numerous performances, Holton played with the American Chamber Winds (European and Brazilian tours), Colorado Symphony, Summit Brass, Opera Colorado, Colorado Springs Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras, Brass of the Potomac, Bloomington Camerata Orchestra and Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.
As an educator, Holton has led master classes or clinics at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Salvation Army Music Camp, Conservatório de Tatuí (Brazil), University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Minnesota, Montana State University-Billings, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Dickinson State University and Lebanon Valley College. He received his bachelor of music degree from the University of Florida and a master of music degree from Indiana University. His primary teachers include John Rommel, Gary Langford, Roger Steward and Shanti Simon.
Holton and his wife, Taylor Grant, and their two sons reside in Falls Church.
