Kent Holliday, professor of music in the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the university community since 1974, Holliday was one of Virginia Tech’s earliest music faculty members. Virginia Tech first offered a bachelor’s degree in music in 1974, and he helped to graduate the initial class of music majors in 1978.

The more than 65 compositions Holliday wrote during his time at Virginia Tech have been performed in hundreds of concerts on campus, in the region, and at distinguished state and national conferences. These compositions have also been recorded in six different collections.

Holliday’s work has been recognized with several awards, including one at the Aliener International Harpsichord Competition, the Barto Prize, and First Prize at the Delaware New Music Conference Music Festival. In addition, he received First Prize at the Virginia Music Teachers Association Composition Competition five times between 1983 and 2009 and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Plus Awards 10 times between 2003 and 2014.

In the classroom, Holliday taught a range of undergraduate courses across the music curriculum, including piano, music literature, music theory, and composition.

He was also a founding member of the Whitman Trio, the first faculty ensemble ever created at Virginia Tech.

Holliday received his bachelor’s degree from Hamline University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.