Bryan Castro is currently the director of Bands at Hope Middle School where he directs the 6th, 7th, and 8th, grade concert bands as well as Jazz and Pep bands. Before transferring to Hope Middle School, Bryan spent seven years as the band director of both Wintergreen Intermediate and Ayden Middle School. Many of Hope Middle School's band students have auditioned and made ensembles at the County, District, and State Levels. Mr. Castro was the the middle school 2010 NC Eastern District Jazz Clinician as well as the 2020 NC Eastern District High School Jazz Band B clinician. Mr. Castro has served as the Eastern Region Jazz President as well as worked at the state level to shape jazz auditions.
Bryan received his Bachelors of Music Degree from East Carolina University where he was under the tutelage of Carroll Dashiell Jr. and Jeff Bair. At East Carolina University Bryan performed with many ensembles including the prestigious East Carolina Jazz Ensemble A, where he had the opportunity to perform in such venues as the Birdland Jazz Club and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Bryan can also be heard playing saxophone on the ECUJA’s 1998 CD “Jazz Directions II”
After graduation from East Carolina University, Bryan has continued a vigorous performance schedule across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia in various regional acts such as the Carolina Drifters, Coldsweat, The Main Event Band, and the Johnny Dollar Band, sometimes performing as many as 130 dates a year. Bryan has recorded horn parts for many regional acts and can be heard with different groups on Beach Music radio stations. Bryan’s services as a saxophonist for hire have been used with regional acts such as the Band of Oz and national acts like as the Impressions.
Bryan lives in Greenville with wife Krystyna and daughter Kylie.