Brass Band Conductors' Association

The Brass Band Conductors' Association (BBCA) is here to support and bring together conductors and those interested in picking up the baton from all over the world, and is going from strength to strength. Join today!

Are you making the most of your BBCA member benefits?

access to personal instrument insurance savings deals
discounts on BBCA and BBE events
discounts on entry to the BBCA flagship annual Conducting Competition
access to the BBCA Mentoring Scheme
free listing in the BBCA Member Directory

London and Southern Counties		Alan Duguid Alan is a conductor, composer, adjudicator and teacher based in Enfield, North London. He has worked with a range of bands across all sections in the UK and overseas, including Kingdom Brass, Tokyo Brass Concord, Aarhus Brass Band, Regent Brass, Redbridge Brass and the Aveley and Newham Brass Band. He currently works regularly as the MD of the Enfield Brass Band and City of London Symphonic Winds.
Midlands		Colum O'Shea Colum began playing Cornet at the age of nine and went on to play for some of the finest bands in the country. In 2012 he became Musical Director of the Newark & Sherwood Concert Band where he still has his residency today. Colum has been working with brass bands in the Midlands and Yorkshire regions and currently conducts the Chapeltown Silver Prize Band in Sheffield. He is regularly in demand as a conductor and looks forward to sharing his experience, representing the Midlands Region of BBCA.
North West		Matt Ryan 2023 BBCA Conducting Competition winner, Matt Ryan is a conductor, adjudicator and educator based in Manchester. He is currently the musical director of the Wingates Band and has previously worked in rehearsal and concert with bands and orchestras across the UK and Europe including the world famous Fodens and Grimethorpe Colliery Bands on stages as big as the Royal Albert Hall and Rodahal; and intimate as The Stables and his local church.
Yorkshire & North East		Jack Capstaff Jack Capstaff studied conducting and composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Jack is currently consulting with some of the country’s top musical minds, studying conducting with Mark Heron, with consultations in interpretation, conducting, and composition with Frank Renton, Ray Farr, and Philip Wilby. Alongside his residency with Derwent Brass, a Midlands Championship section band, he is involved in many creative projects.
Scotland		Stuart Black Stuart Black is a Salford Uni alumni now living back in the Scottish Borders working as a conductor and brass teacher, most predominantly with Hawick Saxhorn band, Galashiels Town Band, various youth bands and Horn Tutor of the National Children’s Band of Scotland.
West of England		Harry Weir Harry is a composer and conductor, based in his native Cornwall. He learnt to play with Porthleven Town Band, before moving to London to study composition and conducting. Upon completion of his studies he returned to Cornwall and was soon invited to take up the post of Musical Director with Pendennis Brass.
Wales		Brett Baker Brett Baker is viewed internationally as a leading brass performer, conductor and educator. He was principal trombone for Black Dyke Band for 24 years and in that time guest conducted bands such as Leyland, Grimethorpe Colliery and Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band. He has been Musical Director of Bands such as Northop Silver, Thoresby Colliery as well as Longridge Band and currently is the MD of Lydbrook Band in Gloucestershire.
Ireland		Brendan Breslin Brendan Breslin is the Head of Connect for the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Ireland's leading conservatory. He is the course supervisor of the eCourse in Music Ensemble Direction, and project manager of RIAM Ensemble Fest. Prior to joining RIAM he performed as a member of the Band of An Garda Síochána, and is the Artistic Director of the Irish Youth Brass Band, Irish Film & Pops Orchestra, and the Dublin Concert Band. Brendan is a former winner of the NABBC Conducting competition in 2016, as well as a prize-winning composer and arranger.

If you would like to be put in touch with your area representative, please email: [email protected]

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The Brass Band Conductors' Association partnered with Brass Bands England in October 2019, which saw the two bodies coming together to develop educational opportunities for conductors and BBCA members receiving free BBE Individual Membership.

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