KMEA Hall of Fame
Markwood Holmes
Inducted in 1986
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.