Brian Horton, an assistant professor in the department of music at North Carolina Central University and director of the university’s jazz studies program and the NCCU Jazz Ensemble, died from natural causes on September 15. He was 46 years old.
Dr. Horton was an accomplished composer and saxophonist who brought more than two decades of professional performance experience to his teaching of jazz arranging and saxophone. Most recently, Dr. Horton led the NCCU Jazz Ensemble to a top-three finish at the 2022 Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
A native of Kinson, North Carolina, Dr. Horton earned a bachelor’s degree in music from North Carolina Central University. He held a master’s degree from Queens College in New York, and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of North Texas.
