Mark Babbitt
From Sequenza21/NetNewMusic Wiki
Mark Babbitt is Assistant Professor of Trombone and Associate Director of Bands at Central Washington University. He teaches the trombone studio, directs the trombone choir, and conducts the symphonic band. He is also a member of the acclaimed resident faculty brass quintet Brass Central.
Mr. Babbitt is active throughout the Northwest as a trombone soloist, clinician, and guest conductor. The winner of the 1999 National Solo Trombone Competition in Washington, D.C., the first trombone winner of the Ithaca College Concerto Competition, and recently won the prestigious 2004 Awards Tour Competition. Recent solo appearances include: Everett Symphony, Tacoma Youth Orchestra, Highline Community Band, CWU Wind Ensemble, and the Columbia Basin Concert Band. He has presented recital/masterclasses at Eastern Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University, Columbia Basin College, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, McGill University (Montreal), and National University of Columbia (Bogotá, Columbia).
As director of the CWU Trombone Choir, he has taken his students to perform at the 2004 International Trombone Festival (Ithaca, NY), 2004 Washington Music Educators State Conference, 2003 Society of Composers Northwest Conference, and Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA).
Mr. Babbitt holds degrees in trombone performance from the Eastman School of Music (B.M.) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (M.M.). He completed three years of doctoral studies in conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and is currently completing his doctorate in trombone performance at the University of Washington. At Eastman he was a recipient of the prestigious Performer's Certificate and Emory Remington Scholarship. His primary teachers include John Marcellus, Steven Witser, Hal Reynolds, David Vining and Don Immel.
Professor Babbitt has performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles, they include: Seattle Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Tri-Cities Opera, Erie Philharmonic, Mansfield Symphony, Northern Kentucky Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Yakima Symphony, Heidelberg Schlossfestspiele Orchestra (Germany), Taiwan National Wind Ensemble, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Conductors he has performed under conductor include: Gerard Schwarz, Marin Alsop, Jahja Ling, Louis Lane, Eiji Oue, Uri Segal, Giselle Ben-Dor, James Paul, Mark Elder, and David Effron. He has also had the privilege to perform under the greatest wind ensemble conductors of our time: Frederick Fennell, Donald Hunsberger, Mark Scatterday, Frank Battisti, and H. Robert Reynolds.
Before coming to central Washington University, Professor Babbitt was on the faculty at Xavier University. Additionally, he has taught classes at the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music and Ithaca College.
He is an artist / clinician for the Getzen Company. He plays a Getzen Custom Series 3047AFR trombone.
