Adrian Holton is known for his passion and energy as a trumpet player and conductor and has built a dynamic career making music at the highest level. His experience as a premier military band musician has enhanced his ability to connect with musicians of all levels on and off of the podium.
Adrian currently serves as Principal Trumpet with Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Until recently, he was a member of The United States Air Force (USAF) Band, Music Director and Principal Conductor for the National Concert Band of America, and Director of the Maryland Band Director’s Band at Montgomery College. He also conducted the 2022 Middleburg Film Festival Orchestra, collaborating with award-winning composers Michael Abels, Kris Bowers, and Mark Isham.
A dedicated and committed performer, Adrian was a trumpeter with The USAF Band Ceremonial Brass in Washington, D.C and USAF Academy Band in Colorado Springs, CO. With over a decade of experience in military bands, Adrian’s versatility has been demonstrated in everything from classical music to commercial playing. This can also be seen in his time performing with Brass of the Potomac, American Chamber Winds, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Colorado, to name a few. Adrian’s commercial playing includes subbing with legendary Airmen of Note, touring Japan twice with Broadway shows, Blast! and Blast II: MIX, multiple years aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships, and his involvement in the 2005 Disney World Collegiate All-Star Band.
Committed to fostering the next generation of musicians, Adrian collaborates with local and national music education organizations. He is a regular judge for the National Trumpet Competition, and adjudicated band and solo and ensemble assessments in the DC area. He performed in multiple video collaborations with Military Trumpet Jobs, providing high-quality education and performance to trumpet players interested in military band excerpts. He also co-founded District Brass, a DC-based brass quintet with drums that is featured in The USAF Band’s educational outreach initiative to local schools, performing pop music by composers and songwriters that students from all backgrounds would recognize. Adrian also led masterclasses and workshops at universities around the country and at summer institutes, including the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute and Salvation Army Music Camp.
Recognized for expanding the musical canon, Adrian strives to bring high-quality programming to every ensemble he leads, showcasing repertoire by composers from marginalized backgrounds in every performance. He participated in nearly two dozen consortia, supporting individual trumpet solos, brass quintets, and many new wind band works. Adrian’s values of being an agent of change extend beyond the music stand; he served as the Section Chief of Diversity and Inclusion for The USAF Band, where he spearheaded and oversaw five initiatives in the areas of training, equitable programming practices, outreach, audition protocols, as well as The USAF Band Diversity Fellowship.
Adrian currently resides in Littleton, CO with his wife and two children. He holds performance degrees from Indiana University and University of Florida. Former instructors include John Rommel, Dr. Jay Coble, Gary Langford, Roger Steward, and Dr. Shanti Simon.
