Mark Ford is currently employed as a Head of Bands at St Leonards College, Melbourne. He has been a music teacher in Victorian Schools for over 30 years. His previous teaching appointments include Head of Bands & Brass at Wesley College Melbourne, Head of Brass and Band Studies at Westbourne Grammar School prior to joining the Royal Australian Navy Band as a full-time professional musician in 2001. He was commissioned as an officer in 2004.
Mark is one of Australia’s most senior and sought after wind & brass adjudicators. He is in high demand in all states of Australia. Over the years, Mark has been Chief Adjudicator in the Victorian, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australian, West Australian, and Tasmanian State Championships. He has also officiated at the prestigious Melbourne Schools’ Band Festival and Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra as well as officiating at many local and interstate Eisteddfods. He has officiated at the Australian National Band Championships on several occasions as adjudicator of brass and concert bands as well as Solo & Party events.
Mark is an internationally renowned conductor of bands. From 1996 – 2012, he was Principal Conductor with Kew Band Melbourne, one of Australasia’s premier bands and with that band won three Australian National A Grade Championship titles in 1998, 2000 & 2011. In 2009, Mark directed Kew Band Melbourne to its first Federation of Australasian Brass Bands (FABB) ‘Australasian Open’ Championship title. He has been appointed as a guest professional conductor with several bands in Australia and overseas. In 2011, he directed the North Shore Brass Band in the New Zealand National Championships, one of very few Australians to do so.
In 1999, Mark directed Kew Band Melbourne on a ground-breaking tour of Japan as guests of the All-Japan Brass Band Festival and in 2001, Mark accepted an invitation to travel to the Netherlands to conduct Brass Band de Waldsang in the Survento Contest. Brass Band de Waldsang won the Championship Section of this prestigious contest under his baton. His reputation as one of Australia’s finest directors of bands was acknowledged in 2001, when he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Australian National Band for its 2000/01 & 2004 seasons. Mark Ford formed Victoria Brass in 2015 and was the Principal Conductor for its 2015-16 season.
He was associate Musical Director of the Victorian State Youth Band from 1987-1993 and was Director of Music and Musical Advisor to the Queensland State Youth Band for its 1998 and 1999 seasons and he was the inaugural conductor of the Melbourne Honours Band in 2006.
In 2008, Mark was awarded Life Membership of the Victorian Bands’ League for his services to bands and as an 18-year member of its Adjudication Panel & Musical Advisory Board. Mark was awarded the coveted ‘Frank Wright Medal’ in 2018, for services to Music as a conductor, composer, teacher, and mentor.
Mark is a well-regarded educationalist and many educational institutions have benefited from his services. In addition to his regular teaching, managerial and administrative duties, he has assisted many students to prepare for examinations and musical competitions. School music directors have sought his counsel (through workshops) in preparations for major festival,
eisteddfod, and competition performances. He is regarded as a senior teacher who regularly mentors new teachers in Victorian schools.
He has also lectured in tertiary institutions. In 1997 he was lecturer/conductor of Brass Band Studies at The Victorian College of the Arts and was lecturer in Brass at The University of Melbourne in 1999 as well as teacher of euphonium at the Australian Defence Force School of Music.
Mark Ford is a renowned soloist who has won many Local, State and National Championship titles in Australia. His skills as a multi-instrumentalist have seen him win major solo titles on soprano, Bb cornet, tenor horn, baritone, trombone, and euphonium. He still remains an active cornet player in the Darebin City Brass Preston Band in Melbourne.
These days, Mark Ford is active as a mentor to several Australian conductors in band musicianship and training. He regularly produces recordings and has worked in association with Kew Band, Melbourne Staff Band of the Salvation Army, Brett Baker, Sean Preist and Dr Matthew van Emmerik in their respective compact disc releases.
Mark Ford is widely known as an energetic, innovative, and passionate musician with vision and flair, who has considerable experience at a high level as a conductor, adjudicator, administrator, motivator, and educator.
