Holton

The founder of the American Holton brand, which is now owned by the world-famous music corporation Conn-Selmer, Inc., was Frank Holton.  At the end of the 19th century, he played the trombone, being the principal trombonist in the orchestra of Philip Sousa, the author of America's national march.  holtonAnd here at the border of the eras, Frank Holton starts his own business, which becomes the prototype of the future company.  First, he becomes the owner of a music store in Chicago, USA.  In addition to the instruments that were already in use, there you could also buy oil for trombones made according to his own signature recipe.  While the business was developing, Holton continued to devote all his free time to playing the trombone.  And already in 1898, Frank Holton created his first Holton Special trombone.  Several years passed, and the Holton line was already enriched with new instruments - other wind instruments (trumpets, horns, cornets) began to conquer the musical world.  Already in 1914, Vincent Bach himself played the Holton trumpet in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, becoming one of the outstanding musicians of the company.  In addition to Bach, Holton artists were also known as cornetist Ernst Albert Couturier, trombonist Edward Llewellyn, trumpeter and music producer Renold Otto Schilke, hornist Philip Farkas, Canadian jazz genius and trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, American tubist Harvey Phillips.  (Harvey Phillips) and other musicians.  And Holton's collaboration with the pioneering female brass player, Kathryn Ethel Merker, resulted in, among other things, the Holton Merker-Matic horn.  Frank Holton built his own music factory in 1917-1920 in Elkhorn (Wisconsin, USA).  Production is developing at a frantic pace, the number of employees, craftsmen, and the area of ​​factory premises are growing rapidly.  In 1929, the company took a new step in development - the Holton Collegiate line appeared, designed for beginner musicians.  1939 Frank Holton sold the company to Fred Kull, his associate and apprentice.  And three years later the founder died.  Further development of the company, numerous changes in management and changes of owners culminated in the entry of the Holton brand, which is now called a living legend, into the equally popular Conn-Selmer, Inc. corporation.  Holton wind instruments are now manufactured in Eastlake, Ohio (USA).