About Us

The Chicago Brass Band is a 30-piece brass and percussion ensemble formed in the British brass band tradition, but with Chicago flair. Led by music director Dr. Mark A. Taylor, the band is now in its 24th season. The Band recently won first place in the 2025 U.S. Open Brass Band Championships.

Music Director, Mark Taylor

Dr. Mark A. Taylor serves as Music Director of the internationally award-winning Chicago Brass Band, following nearly twenty years as a section percussionist with the ensemble. A conductor, educator, and performer in demand throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond, Dr. Taylor clinics brass bands nationally and has held leadership positions on the board of NABBA (the North American Brass Band Association).

Dr. Taylor's current appointments include Music Director of Milwaukee Festival Brass, directing them to five medal-winning performances in the last six contest seasons; Music Director of the DuPage Community Concert Band; and Music Director of the Waukegan Band, one of America's oldest and most historic civic ensembles.

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. His dissertation documented British-style brass bands in American college music programs.

Prior to his doctoral study, he served five years as Director of Bands and Coordinator of Ensembles at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Taylor received the Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and his undergraduate degrees from the University of Notre Dame, where his final appearance as Drum Major coincided with the football team's 1989 national championship. He and his wife reside in Lake Forest, IL.