Ian grew up as part of a musical family, and his enthusiasm for playing in bands started when he began playing the horn with the Corsham Band in Wiltshire at the young age of 5 years old. At the age of 14, he took up the solo trombone seat with the band, holding the position for four years until he moved to Barnsley in South Yorkshire in order to study for his degree in Band Studies.
After gaining his degree, Ian stayed in Yorkshire and started his conducting career in November 2000 with the Emley Band, taking them back to contesting after a four years of absence. Two years later he became the resident conductor at Harworth Band under their professional conductor John Davis where he enjoyed 2 memorable years.
In November 2003, Ian joined Ireland Colliery Chesterfield as their Musical Director. When he joined the band was close to folding with only 10 players around the stand, however under his direction the band rebuilt itself and competed in March 2004 at the Midlands area with 28 players around the stand and since then has successfully competed at the Area contest every year, achieving the bands best results for over a decade.
In 2011, he led Ireland to the National Finals for the first time in over 20 years, a feat that was repeated in each of the following years to the 2014. Ireland Colliery, under Ian's direction, has was promoted for 4 years consecutively from the 4th Section up to the 1st Section in 2015.
Ian is a believer that every person should have the chance to shine and this was the key to 12 years of success with Ireland where he developed players of all abilities to achieve success and with the help of a few other people created an organisation that has now a firm base to carry on financially and securely.
Throughout Ian’s 31 years of playing he has played with a number of bands around the country as a guest including the likes of Rothwell, Carlton Main Frickley, Unite the Union and Yorkshire Coop Brass Band to name a few. Ian also has conducted bands as a guest MD on numerous occasions and on one of these occasions was asked to conduct Yorkshire Coop Brass band in the center of the Old Trafford Football pitch in forward of 80,000 people conducting the band and the world famous Katherine Jenkins for the Super League grand final in October 2008.
In November 2015 Ian accepted the role of Musical Director with the Lindley Band and in November 2016 he left his role with Lindley to take over as MD of the 2nd longest running band in the world Kippax Band in Leeds West Yorkshire

Ian Knapton