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Milwaukee Festival Brass
Milwaukee, WI
About
Founded in 1985, Milwaukee Festival Brass is an exciting brass ensemble made up of volunteer brass and percussion players from all over Southeastern Wisconsin. Led by its highly regarded Director, Mark A. Taylor, they have added their own unique flair to a repertoire ranging from classics to contemporary selections using traditional British brass band instruments. In June of 2025 Milwaukee Festival Brass achieved a lifelong dream for many of its members by traveling to and competing at the world-famous Whit Friday March contests in Saddleworth, UK, just outside the city of Manchester in the north of England. At the band’s last competition of the evening at Diggle, the experience and confidence gained from the previous iterations proved valuable, as the American band earned the award for Best Lower Section Band in the contest. The band now claims the title of 'Internationally Award Winning Band' to its list of achievements. As highly regarded musical ambassadors for the great and vibrant city of Milwaukee, the band supports its strong cultural foundation and is dedicated to developing younger brass and percussion musicians. Milwaukee Festival Brass is dedicated to advancing and maintaining a successful brass band of the highest possible musical quality. As a nationally recognized organization, it strives to satisfy the musical ideals of its members while simultaneously nurturing audience awareness and establishing community support.
Musical Director
Dr. Mark A. Taylor
Mark A. Taylor is the Music Director of Milwaukee Festival Brass, making his Wisconsin debut with the band in 2011 as a guest conductor and now serving as the ensemble’s full time artistic leader. A conductor, educator, and performer in demand throughout the Great Lakes region, Dr. Taylor served five years as director of bands and coordinator of ensembles at Loyola University, and was a member of the music education faculty for the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Dr. Taylor has received degrees from the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University. He is also a graduate with his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of North Texas and his principal conducting teachers have included John P. Paynter, Stephen G. Peterson, Dennis Fisher, and Eugene Migliaro Corporon. In addition, he performs as section percussionist with the Chicago Brass Band. He is a member of the National Band Association, College Music Society, College Band Directors National Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He, his wife, and son reside in Lake Forest, IL.
Choice Program
Connotations for Brass Band
Edward Gregson
Program Notes
In his program note regarding the piece, Paul Hindmarsch writes, “Connotations suggests more than one way of looking at something, an idea, and this is exactly what the piece is about. Writing a competition piece (brings) its own problems. Gregson said, ‘It has to be technically difficult and yet musically satisfying. I didn’t like being kept to an 11-minute maximum. The inclusion of short cadenzas for less usual solo instruments seems to signify a certain test-piece mentality.’ Gregson solved the problems admirably by adopting a symphonic approach to variation form: Introduction - fanfares, a call to attention, in effect Variation 1; Theme - a six-note motif, given a lyrical and restrained first statement; Variation 2 - a delicate toccata; Variation 3 - typically robust in melody and rhythm; Variation 4 - lyrical solos; Variation 5 - a scherzo; Variation 6 - cadenzas; Variations 7-9 - an introduction, fugato and resounding restatement of the theme.”
NABBA Results History (9)
| Section | Best Finish | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Third | 1st | 2 |
| Second | 3rd | — |
| Event | Section | Place | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championships 2026 | Second | 8th | 90.217 | |
| NABBA Championships 2025 | Second | 4th | 89.633 | |
| NABBA Championships 2024 | Second | 7th | 89.133 | |
| NABBA Championships 2019 | Second | 3rd | 274.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2018 | Third | 4th | 276.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2017 | Third | 1st | 278.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2016 | Third | 1st | 273.600 | |
| NABBA Championships 2015 | Third | 3rd | 274.200 | |
| NABBA Championships 2014 | Third | 2nd | 93.200 |