About Us

The Ohio Valley British Brass Band (OVBBB) was founded in February 1992 by Francis Laws and the late Ed Nickol. Mr. Nickol served as the band’s conductor until January 2009, followed by Michael Gallehue (2009 - 2017), Greg Mills (2017 - 2024) and is currency under the direction of Matt Spradlin

The 45-member ensemble is comprised of professional musicians, active and retired educators at both the secondary and collegiate levels, students, and dedicated community musicians from throughout the Ohio Valley region.

The mission of the OVBBB is to perform a wide variety of engaging and worthwhile literature while providing an opportunity for the area’s finest brass players to participate in a high-quality musical ensemble.

Since its inception, the OVBBB has performed extensively throughout southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, including featured performances with the Cincinnati Pops and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. The band has also appeared at the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development Conference, the American School Band Directors Association State Convention, and served as the keynote performing ensemble at the Wisconsin Brass Band Festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Over the past twenty-five years, the OVBBB has collaborated with guest artists of local, national, and international acclaim, including trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzuti; John Philip Sousa IV, great-grandson of the famed American composer and bandmaster; and Steven Bulla. Mr. Bulla was commissioned by the OVBBB to compose Valley of the Adena, a brass band work commemorating the ensemble’s 25th anniversary, and he conducted the band at its world premiere.

The OVBBB performs a diverse repertoire appropriate to a wide range of audiences, including marches, overtures, show tunes, light classics, popular music, and patriotic selections.

The Ohio Valley British Brass Band is a non-profit corporation organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, all donations to the band are tax-deductible.