The City of Fairfax Band Association has selected conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Dr. Dereck Scott as its next music director effective July 1. The association’s membership voted on May 22 to approve his appointment.
As music director, Scott will conduct the nationally acclaimed City of Fairfax Band and supervise the other ensembles in the City of Fairfax Band Association, including the Main Street Community Band, the Alte Kameraden and the Fairfax Swing Band.
Scott, who lives in McLean, Virginia, will conduct his first concert as music director this fall when the City of Fairfax Band opens its 2024-2025 concert season.
Scott’s selection culminates a two-year-long search that extended across two concert seasons ending this May. The process included formation of a search committee of band members that chose three highly qualified finalists. Each selected music and rehearsed the City of Fairfax Band for half of a concert and then led the ensemble in performance. Band members rated each candidate after his/her concert. The search committee then recommended Scott to the City of Fairfax Band Association’s board, which approved the recommendation and put his name up for a vote by the association’s membership.
Scott is a multi-talented musician skilled in leading high-quality, passionate performances. He currently directs The Cathedral Brass and was interim director for the McLean Symphony. He has also conducted the Rockville Brass Band and the Cherry Blossom Brass Band. In connection with each of those ensembles, his work has been described as: “transformative,” “of the highest of artistic merit,” and “significantly contributing to the ensemble’s success.”
On trumpet, Scott performs frequently around metro Washington. That includes having been principal cornet and soloist for the Rockville Brass Band. He can be heard as a featured performer on The Brass of the Potomac’s album “Firestorm.”
Scott is also an accomplished arranger and composer, with more than 70 titles to his name. His work has been performed across the United States and internationally.
Among his other musical endeavors, the Pittsburgh native is the Director of Bands at the Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. He oversees and conducts the band program from grade five through high school.
Scott holds a doctorate degree in musical arts from West Virginia University focused on trumpet performance and orchestral conducting. He also earned a master’s degree in music performance focused on trumpet and instrumental conducting from the same school. His bachelor’s degree, from Duquesne University, is also in music performance.
Scott succeeds Robert Pouliot, who retired as City of Fairfax Band Association music director after 29 years on the City of Fairfax Band podium.