Richard Holmes entered the Eastman School of Music in 1960, with a vocal scholarship, and subsequently pursued the study of piano and percussion at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He went on to the Juilliard School of Music where he studied percussion and conducting. While at Juilliard, Richard played with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra as a regular extra.

His teachers have included Jean Morel, Jorge Mester, Walter Susskind, Alfred Wallenstein, William Kraft, Saul Goodman, Morris Goldenberg, Elden Bailey, and Charles William Johnson.

In 1962, Richard Holmes made his professional debut as a member of the percussion section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Since then, he has performed at Radio City Music Hall and with the Aspen Festival Orchestra in Colorado, where he also served on the percussion and conducting faculty.

Richard Holmes was Music Director and Conductor of the New York Youth Symphony from 1968-69. He taught timpani at the former Saint Louis Conservatory of Music, and has conducted St. Louis Symphony educational concerts.

Since 1999, Richard Holmes had served as the conductor of the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra at the Webster University Community Music School.