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The Irish conductor, composer and arranger, studied at St. Columba's College Dublin (1979-1981); and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Music from Trinity College Dublin (1985-1988).
Mark Armstrong is one of Ireland’s best known musicians with an eclectic career spanning over forty years. As a conductor he has immense experience both on the concert platform and in the recording studio. He has conducted all of Ireland’s top ensembles, choirs and bands - RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Irish Film Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Opera Theatre Company, Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, RTÉ Chamber Choir, National Chamber Choir, Dún Laoghaire Choral Society in Dublin (Musical Director: September 1989-September 1998)), Tallaght Choral Society in Dublin (Musical Director: 2002-2015), RTÉ Cór Na n-Óg, RTÉ Philharmonic Choir; Army No. 1 Band in Dublin (Conductor: January 2002-January 2009); Choral Scholars of University College Dublin (Visiting Conductor: September-December 2017).
As an arranger and composer Mark Armstrong has created many works for choirs, orchestras and bands and was awarded first prize in the Mornington Singers Composition Competition 2014 for his original a cappella choral piece Dreaming. He was also shortlisted for the Italian Choral Composition Competition Seghizzi in 2014. As a film orchestrator he has worked with Ireland's most successful film composer Stephen McKeon on a variety of soundtracks conducting the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Irish Film Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra.
Mark Armstrong enjoys adjudicating at Irish music festivals and has acted as conducting tutor on courses conducted by Sing Ireland in Limerick of which he is also a Board member, heading up the artistic sub-committee (since Jaanuary 2017).
Mark Armstrong's close association with wind bands commenced in January 1989 when he took up a commission in the Irish Defence Forces as a military band conductor. He has held the position of Director of the Defence Forces School of Music since 2010 in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with responsibility for the formation of Defence Forces musical policy, equipping, performance and training of Irish military and pipe bands. |
