Mark Fitzgerald is a conductor, musician, singer, arranger/composer and music educator specialising in brass teaching and hails from Waterford City. He began his musical career while at Primary School when he joined the Mount Sion CBS Silver Band.
Mark has also been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and The National Broadcasting Band of Ireland. He was Principal Trumpet with the Waterford Festival of Light for over ten years. Mark furthered his musical education by studying at Waterford Institute of Technology and more recently with Dr. Eibhlis Farrell, head of music at Dundalk I.T.
As well as having the pleasure of working with many of Ireland’s leading musicians, Mark has also worked with some of the UK’s leading brass musicians and conductors such as Jim Shepherd, Mark Wilkinson, Philip Sparke and Mark Heron. He is very proud to have worked with and conducted the world famous Fodens Brass Band, Manchester.
Mark is in demand as an adjudicator and has worked with organisations such as the Irish Association of Brass and Concert Bands, Limerick School of Music and Feile Luimnigh.
He has been the principal conductor of the Barrack Street Concert Band Waterford, since 2004 and is also heavily involved in their youth development programme. As well as his teaching commitments to the Barrack Street Band he is also a member of the music staff at St Canice’s National School Kilkenny. Mark has been the Musical Director of the Waterford City Massed Band since its formation in 2004. He is a brass tutor with the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and the Irish Association of Youth Orchestra’s. He has been a member of the Irish Symphonic Wind Orchestra since its foundation in 2014, and is also a member of the Invitational Brass Band of Ireland. He is co-founder and Musical Director of the Elastic Band (a nation wide concert band) who are the current South of Ireland Band Champions. Mark is also a member of one of Ireland’s leading events bands – Brass&Co.