Markwood Holmes began his teaching career in 1919 as
a violin instructor at the Horner Institute of Fine Arts in
Kansas City, Missouri. He later taught violin and piano
at the Kansas City Conservatory. In 1925 he traveled to
France to study violin and composition, returning in
1929 to resume teaching at the conservatory and to
play in the Kansas City Philharmonic. In the mid-1930s,
Holmes opened a private studio in Fort Scott, Kansas,
and in the 1940s taught at Fort Scott Junior High
School. From 1947 to 1969, he taught string,
composition, and orchestra at Pittsburg State
University. After his retirement there, he continued
teaching theory and violin at Fort Scott Community
College until 1976. Holmes was named Kansas
Composer of the Year by the National Federation of
Music Clubs and has been cited for distinguished
leadership and service by the American String Teachers
Association.