Orchestras Canada conveys hearty congratulations to trumpeter Bruce Holder Jr., who recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of his first appearance with the Saint John Symphony Orchestra, now Symphony New Brunswick.

Mr. Holder (Jr.) was named after his father, who was one of the founders of the Saint John Symphony Orchestra in 1950, concertmaster of both the Saint John Symphony (1950-1954 and 1958-1962) and the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra from 1962-1968 and conductor of the SJSO between 1954-1958. When Bruce Jr. was eighteen years old, his father asked him to play 3rd trumpet in the old orchestra and he performed in his first concert on November 13th, 1951. Although he did not play during the Atlantic Symphony years (1968-1982), he rejoined Symphony New Brunswick when it was formed in 1983 and he is still playing second trumpet.

According to our informant, SNB president Reid Parker, “this has to be some sort of record. To mark the occasion, we presented him with a painting of the Symphony by local artist Peggy Smith in which he appears. Peggy Smith has been painting our orchestra for many years and she is well-known for these works.”