*The duration of the composition should be no less than five minutes, and no greater than ten minutes. From a handful of extraordinary choices, Mark Lortz was named this year's competition winner and his orchestral work Deux en Machina will be premiered at this year's All State Orchestra Festival. Mr. Lortz will be in residence at the festival for the entire weekend.
Mark Lortz
is band and orchestra direc- tor at Westminster High School (Westminster, Maryland), where he directs the Orchestra, Concert and Marching Bands, Percussion Ensemble, Colorguard and Electronic & Computer Music Program. His ensem- bles have earned superior
ratings on local, regional, and national levels. The Westminster High School Music Department was awarded the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) award for Exemplary Music Program in 2003. In 2005 and 2006, the Westminster high school music department was selected as a national semi finalist Grammy Signature School. Under his leadership the Westminster High School Marching Band is the only band from Maryland to have attended and placed as a semi finalist at the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships (2004). In addition, the Westminster Marching Band is the only band from Maryland to have won a Bands of America (BOA) Regional Competition (2003) and the Tournament of Bands (TOB) Group 4 Atlantic Coast Championships (2002). In 2002, Mr. Lortz was nominated as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Carroll County Public Schools. For the past five years he has been the Festival Coordinator for Carroll County Public Schools where he has been responsible for the coordination and management of the All County Bands, Orchestras and District Festival adjudication. Mr. Lortz earned bachelor's, teaching certification
and master's degrees from The Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, majoring in per- cussion performance, music education and composition. He performs regularly with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as a percussionist/timpanist and can be heard on numerous recordings conducted by Maestro David Zinman. He was principal percussionist with the Yamaha Performing Ensemble, The Dallas Brass, where he per- formed as a soloist with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; the Kennedy Center; performed with numerous orchestras in concert halls throughout the United States; and made several recordings with the group. He has performed with the Baltimore Chamber Symphony, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, the
February 2007
Baltimore Opera, the Gettysburg Symphony, and for vari- ous concert and theatrical productions in the metropolitan Baltimore and Washington areas. Mr. Lortz toured North America as the associate conductor and principal percus- sionist with the touring production of The Phantom of The Opera. He has performed with and instructed the Drum Corps International (DCI) Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps, and he has been associated with the group's success in winning the coveted Drum Corps International Championships and the high percussion award.
Mr. Lortz's original music has been premiered at
the prestigious Mid West Band and Orchestra Clinic, uni- versities, music schools and conservatories throughout the nation. Mr. Lortz was commissioned in 2004, by a multiple university consortium to transcribe Philip Glass' Double Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra for symphonic band and published through Dunvagen Music publisher. He is the Front Ensemble coordinator and arranger for the world champion Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Drum & Bugle Corps The Reading Buccaneers and has arranged marching band music for high schools and colleges throughout the country. He was the Percussion Caption Head and wind and percussion arranger for the United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, winning the Inter-service
Academy Drum & Bugle Corps
Championship and high percussion award. An active adju- dicator and clinician in the mid-Atlantic region, Mr. Lortz is a member of the prestigious national music honorary society Pi Kappa Lamda, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), National Association of Music Education (MENC), Maryland Band Directors Association (MBDA), Maryland Orchestra Director's Association (MODA), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and is a Marching Percussion Specialist and Scholastic Educator for the Vic Firth Percussion Education Program. Concluding Thoughts
I think we are looking into a very bright future.
This is my last article for Ala Breve as President of the Alabama Orchestra Association and I want to express to you my thanks and appreciation to you for allowing me to serve you. The AOAis really growing and participation on all levels is expanding. I encourage you all to continue to be engaged with and by the events of the AOA. I am con- tinually impressed with the passion and dedication that each and every one of our involved members brings to the organization. We are lucky to have a very committed few. What we need now is even more people to become involved and active. I would like my parting words to you to be a call to come and be a part of this growing close-knit group of diligent music educators. People are working tire- lessly to make the experiences great for the students of Alabama and we can always use more leaders in this cause. We have come a long way and we can go a long way still with your help.
Thank you for this opportunity and as
always, my inbox is open so write anytime-
maggieviola@comcast.net.
ala breve 13
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