My story.

I grew up listening to brass bands from a young age as my dad, Brian Hillson was recording and producing some of the top bands in the world. I started playing cornet as a child and was privileged to be accepted into the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain in the late 1990s.

I considered playing professionally but ended up taking a different path and going to law school. I still joke that I am the only person who broke his dad’s heart by going to law school. After choosing a different career journey, life got in the way and I unintentionally took a hiatus from playing for 17 years, moving to New York to work in finance.

Covid was a tough time for everyone but if there was one silver lining for me, it was having the time to start playing again. Since then, I have thrown myself back into music, trying to make up for lost time. I founded a British-style brass band in Wilmington, North Carolina called Wilmington Virtuosi Brass, of which I am Principal Cornet; I play trumpet with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra; and I achieved a bucket list goal of being named a Denis Wick Ambassador this year.

I am Chair of the NYBBGB Alumni and Associates Committee and had the idea of commissioning some new arrangements for cornet and piano to record as a solo album to raise funds for the NYBBGB Bursary Fund, to enable young musicians to pursue their passion, as I did as a teenager. Stephen Bulla and Alan Williams beautifully arranged these pieces for this album.

Finally, I convinced my dad to come out of retirement to record his son, another once in a lifetime experience and a very heartwarming moment for us both. Elizabeth Loparits from University of North Carolina, Wilmington provides the excellent piano accompaniment.

I hope you enjoy listening to this music and this special project for me. Have a listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhtMm0e-8CSBW8YE7zJN4wAajXek1nIMj and if you enjoyed it, please consider donating to a very worthy cause.

Thank you for your support,

Richard Hillson