Conductors

Mr. John Holloway spent 34 years teaching music in South Carolina public schools. At various times, he taught high school and junior high band, elementary music, world drumming, junior high strings, and chorus. After his retirement in 2012, he served two years as the interim Assistant Professor of Music Education and Director of the Converse Wind Ensemble at Converse College. He is currently an adjunct lecturer at Converse, where he teaches low brass and shares directing responsibilities in the Lawson Academy Band. As a performer, Mr. Holloway has played tuba for the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra in its various incarnations since 1981. He also performs with the SPO Brass and the Emerald City Brass Quintet, and he regularly subs for several ensembles in the area. He is a founding member of the Spartanburg Community Band and served as its second conductor. Mr. Holloway earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Furman University and a Master of Music Education degree from Florida State University. He is currently working on a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music education at Boston University. Mr. Holloway is a member of NAfME, SCMEA, SCBDA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu. He graduated summa cum laude from Furman, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Kappa Lambda. At Florida State, he studied conducting and wind ensemble literature with Carl Bjerregard and tuba with David Wilson. Mr. Holloway is a native of Bennettsville, South Carolina.

Jazz Band Director Dr. Thomas J. Wright

Dr. Thomas Wright is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. He is also a professional jazz saxophone and trumpet player around the Upstate of South Carolina, and serves as the Director of the Spartanburg Jazz Ensemble. Tom has played at venues across the country; he has opened for distinguished musicians such as nine-time Grammy Award-winner Wynton Marsalis and has been invited to play for dignitaries such as Hillary Clinton. Outside of music, Tom received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 2009 and now teaches at Wofford College in Spartanburg.