Holly, Rich
Biography
Born: September 9, 1956
Country: Long Island, New York, U.S.A.
Studies: SUNY Potsdam, East Carolina University
Teachers: Henry Gates, Howie Mann, James Petercsak, Harold Jones, Frank Malabe, Abraham Adzenyah , Famoudou Konate
Rich Holly is the Executive Director for the Arts at NC State University. Prior to this appointment, Holly served as Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University where he has also been a Professor of Percussion since 1983.
As a percussionist, he remains active as a solo performer and clinician, and has appeared over 400 times at schools, colleges, universities, conventions and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, South America and Asia. Rich received his formal training at the State University of New York at Potsdam and East Carolina University.
His principal teachers were Henry Gates, Howie Mann, James Petercsak, and Harold Jones. Rich studied Brazilian percussion with Manoel Monteiro, Afro-Cuban drumming with Frank Malabe, and West African drumming with Abraham Adzenyah and Famoudou Konate. Rich was a founding member of the Abraxas Percussion Group, and has performed with the Long Island Holiday Festival Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of New York, and the North Carolina Symphony. For 11 seasons Rich was Timpanist of the Illinois Chamber Symphony.
As a drumset artist, Rich has appeared with Allen Vizzutti, John Fedchock, Ethel Merman, Red Skelton, Bob McGrath and Sesame Street, Petey Pablo, Terminator X, and many others. From 1984 to 1999 Rich played drumset and percussion with Inner City recording artists Rhythmic Union.
Rich's articles have appeared in almost every major music journal, and from 1986 to 2002 he was the Associate Editor for Percussive Notes magazine. His published percussion compositions are sold around the world, and his popular book, "Majoring in Music: All the Stuff You Need to Know," is available from booksellers world-wide. Active in the Percussive Arts Society, Rich served as the President of PAS in 2005 and 2006 and currently serves on the Council of Past Presidents and the Board of Directors. His guest appearances are sponsored in part by Yamaha Music Corporation of America, Sabian Cymbals, Ltd., Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, and Latin Percussion (LP Music).[1]
Works for Percussion
Battlestations II - Percussion Quartet
Homage a mi amigo - Percussion Duo
Nora's Dancer - Marimba
Rondo (Holly) - Timpani
Sonata for Timpani (Holly) - Timpani
Timbrangles - Multiple Percussion
You're Makin' Me Dizzy - Congas
References