Sean Holly
Sean Holly is a performer with a passion for a colorful array of genres and collaborative efforts within the arts. He has been part of productions with actors and dancers such as intimate black box performances of Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite, Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat, Eliza Brown’s Thirteen Trees, and more.
He has a longstanding interest in jazz and commercial music, having performed with big bands at venues such as The Jazz Showcase and Evanston Space, recorded on Bryan Eng’s debut album titled 20, recorded a live DVD album at ILMEA with the NIU Jazz Lab Band, collaborated with bands such as Harrison Fjord, and was a finalist in the Essentially Ellington Competition.
Other performance experience includes ensembles such as the Phoenix Symphony, Ballet AZ, Phoenix Brass Collective, Symphony of the Southwest, West Valley Symphony, New Guard Big Band, DW Jazz Orchestra, many performances with musical theater organizations including Mercury Theater and Porchlight Music Theatre, chamber music ensembles such as the Phoenix Symphony Brass Quintet, Valley Trio, the Chicago-based contemporary ensemble Aprés L’Histoire, and is a former member of the international award winning Northwestern University Trombone Choir.
In addition to performing regularly throughout the Phoenix, AZ metro area, Sean teaches and coaches low brass, brass chamber groups, youth orchestras, and high school bands, as well as provides outreach through chamber music clinics, side-by-sides and charity performances with programs such as the B-Sharp Music Wellness Initiative and The Harmony Project.
Sean received his Masters of Music in Trombone Performance under Dr. Brad Edwards at Arizona State University, where he held the position of Teaching Assistant. Sean received his Bachelors of Music at Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Mulcahy, Timothy Higgins, Douglas Wright, Randall Hawes, and Christopher Davis, and had chamber music coaches including renowned trumpeter Stephen Burns, legendary horn player Gail Williams, and more.
Sean has performed with esteemed artists such as Carl St. Clair, Steve Hackman, Pat Sheridan, Byron Stripling, Carmen Bradford, Stephen Colbert, Craig Bierko, She-e Wu, Dom Moio, Brad Edwards, and Joe Burgstaller.