Guest Clinicians
Dr. James Gourlay
Prof. James Gourlay DMA, MMus, FRNCM, FLCM is a leading performer, teacher and academic.
As well as his work as a soloist, conductor and member of some of Europe’s finest orchestras, James has held high level Academic and adminis-trative posts such as Head of School, Wind, Brass and Percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) as well as Deputy Principal and Director of the School of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD), now known as the Royal Conservatoire for Scotland.
Under James Gourlay’s leadership, the Royal Northern College of Music became one of the top schools in the world for brass and wind studies, winning two awards presented at Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty the Queen of England, and in May 2008 the School of Music of the RSAMD was voted best UK Music school by the Guardian newspaper’s Education & Universities Guide, moving up from the its previous best of fourth place.
James has been a member of the Philip Jones Brass En-semble, English Brass, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Zurich Opera House and has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic.
He has been Musical Director of a number of the greatest brass bands in the World, such as the Grimethorpe Colliery Band (stars of the movie ‘Brassed Off’) and is in demand as a clinician, giving classes and lectures in Paris, Lausanne and at the Juilliard as well as an orchestral conductor working internationally.
He is currently Music Director and CEO of the River City Brass, the world’s only full-time profes-sional brass band, adjunct professor of tuba at Duquesne University and is Inter-national Chair of Low Brass Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England as well as Vice President (President Elect) of the International Tuba/Euphonium Association.
In 2018 Gourlay was a Pittsburgh top 50 business leader prizewinner and 2019 was chosen by Musical America as a top 30 Music Professional.
Dr. Craig McKenzie
Craig McKenzie is the newly appointed Associate Director of Bands / Director of Athletic Bands in the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. At Miami he oversees the conducting and teaching of the Frost Symphonic Winds and the Frost “Band of the Hour” Marching Band.
Dr. McKenzie received his D.M.A. from the University of Miami, Frost School of Music where he studied instrumental conducting with Robert M. Carnochan. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Music with an emphasis in conducting from San José State University. His conducting mentors also include Edward C. Harris, Alan McMurray, Diana Hollinger, and Thomas Verrier.
With over 20 years of university, high school, and middle school teaching experience, Dr. McKenzie has previously held positions at Pioneer High School (Whittier, California), Abraham Lincoln High School (San Jose, California), and at San José State University.
From 2019-2024, he was the conductor of the San Francisco Brass Band, taking them to back-to-back first place performances in two different divisions of the North American Brass Band Association Championships: second section in 2023 and first section in 2024.
In 2023, Dr. McKenzie served as the Music Director and Principal conductor of the Golden Gate Park Band, San Francisco’s oldest professional musical organization.
Dr. McKenzie is the 2019 Grand Champion of the International Conducting Competition hosted by the National Association of Brass Band Conductors (now the Brass Band Conductors’ Association) in Eccles, England. As a result of his win, he was invited to guest conduct the Cory Band in 2020.
Nigel Horne
Nigel began his musical journey at the age of 8, playing the cornet with the local band on the southeastern coast of England. His passion for music saw him progress to playing horn and percussion at the highest level, and, over the years, he has crafted a distinguished career as a conductor, leading concert and brass bands across the UK and US. Fourteen years ago, Nigel made Maryland his home and proudly became a US citizen in 2023.
Nigel's tenure as conductor of the Rockville Brass Band from 2009 to 2020 included several achievements. Under his directorship, the band emerged as Maryland's only nationally graded first-section band clinching the North American Brass Band Association's 1st position in the second section in 2017 and 2018. His dedication doubled the band's size and secured its long-term future. His influence extended to the local music scene as the conductor of an orchestra and chorus bringing video game music to the concert hall. Despite his voice no longer being what it once was, his love for choral singing and directing remains strong.
Beyond conducting, Nigel has contributed to the band community. He has served on the board of directors of the North American Brass Band Association, including many years as contest controller. His leadership experience includes his role as membership secretary of the National Association of Band Conductors in England.
Nigel holds undergraduate degrees in band studies and in music, along with an M.Phil in composition. He also possesses an undergraduate diploma in band adjudication and has served as an adjudicator at prestigious competitions, such as the world-famous Whit Friday Contests.