The Chicago Brass Band is most pleased to announce the appointment of Mark A. Taylor as Music Director for the 2022-23 season. Mark is no stranger to the Band as he has been a percussionist and guest conductor with CBB over the past twenty years. In 2021 he was appointed to serve as CBB Conductor and led the Band to a successful season that included highly acclaimed performances at the Gateway Brass Band Championships in St. Louis and the NABBA Championships in Huntsville Alabama.
A conductor, educator, and performer in demand throughout the Great Lakes region, Dr. Taylor has taught with distinction at every level of study, ranging from elementary, middle, and high school to collegiate, amateur, and professional musicians. His new appointment follows nearly twenty years as a section percussionist with the band.
Dr. Taylor, in addition to his time with the Chicago Brass Band, is also now entering his second decade as the music director of the Milwaukee Festival Brass, having directed them to five medal-winning performances over the past six contest seasons. He is also the Music Director of the Waukegan Band, one of America’s oldest and most historic civic ensembles; and serves as Band Director at College of DuPage.
He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2016 from the University of North Texas, where his principal conducting teachers were Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Dennis Fisher, and Nicholas Enrico Williams. Dr. Taylor’s dissertation, “British-Style Brass Bands in U.S. Colleges and Universities,” documented the existence of brass bands in American college music programs, past and present.
As we look forward with excitement and anticipation for the new season we also extend our most heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Colin Holman for everything he has meant to the Band since its inception. His knowledge, expertise and commitment to developing an increasingly high standard of brass banding in North America is unparalleled. We would not be the Band we are today without his mentoring, leadership and musical direction. We wish Colin the best as he now pursues other opportunities.