symphony spotlight
Meet Mark Wootton
conroe symphony principal trumpet
Go For It
Meet Mark Wootton, Principal Trumpet in his first season with the Conroe Symphony Orchestra.
Mark Wootton was, by his own account, “born at a very young age… in Frankfurt, Germany.”
That tells you just about everything you need to know about Mark. Spend two minutes with him and his sense of humor shines through.
A trumpet player since fifth grade: “I was placed on trumpet, and the adventure began!”
Mark has spent his life in music. He’s now in his 29th year as a band director, with one memorable detour: last year he took a nine-month break and drove a flatbed truck.
“I learned a great deal,” he says, “however, teaching music to young people is where I’m supposed to be.”
This is his first season with the Conroe Symphony Orchestra, and he’s already sold on it.
“Lots of great music is happening in the CSO. There are a lot of great people in this group. Though I’m a newer member, I can tell the CSO is the place to be!”
–Mark Wootton
A lifelong sci-fi fan, Mark had a particularly good time at a recent themed concert. “I was fortunate to sit in and play with the CSO during the Space concert.
What a BLAST!” (Yes, he wanted you to catch that one.) He’s quick to credit the person setting the programming: “We’re very lucky that our conductor, Gary Liebst, does a stellar job of picking great content for us.”
His musical hero is a fitting one for a brass player who loves cinema. “John Williams has been a huge impact on me,” Mark says. “So many fantastic melodies, and he has shaped musical cinema around the world.”
Home is full and happy. Mark has been married to his wife Christie for 26 years, and they have two grown children — Dylan, 25, and Madison, 21.
After nearly three decades of teaching, Mark has a favorite pitch for anyone on the fence about learning an instrument:
“70% of people WISH they had learned an instrument. So give it a try! There are tons of helpful people and videos to guide you. It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.”
-Mark Wootton
And the words he left us with are pure Mark — equal parts encouragement and grin:
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Go for it!”
-Mark Wootton
Mark, Off The Stage
He Can't Live Without
A very big fan of food!!
Impressive Talent
Mark can make a sound exactly like an electric guitar.
Notable Achievements
Principal Trumpet
Teacher
Soloist at Swing Swing Swing Concert
Come Hear Mark For Yourself
“The musicians in the orchestra must have music in their hearts to make such a sacrifice to come to rehearsals after their day jobs. They just have music-making as part of their lives.”
— Gary Liebst, Music Director
To Learn More About Our Musicians
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