Who We Are
Altius Brass is a Calgary-based large brass ensemble bringing together professional brass and percussion musicians from across Alberta. The ensemble is defined by collaboration, depth of experience, and a shared commitment to exploring ambitious repertoire written for large brass ensemble.
Our Story
Altius Brass is a collaborative ensemble of professional brass and percussion musicians based in Calgary, Alberta. Under the musical direction of Mark Lennon, the eighteen-member ensemble brings together performers from a wide range of musical backgrounds, including members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, Calgary’s freelance music community, and educators from Calgary’s school boards.
United by a shared commitment to artistic excellence, the musicians of Altius Brass explore and expand the repertoire for large brass ensemble while working to grow audiences for this powerful and distinctive form of music.
The ensemble performs an extensive and varied body of repertoire, spanning music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods through to contemporary works, including music by Canadian composers. Its size and instrumentation make Altius Brass a unique presence in Calgary and the surrounding region, and an important contributor to Alberta’s musical landscape.
Artistic Director
Mark Lennon holds a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music in Secondary Music Education from the University of Victoria. His principal teachers include Louis Ranger (University of Victoria), Don Schultz (University of Calgary), and Vincent Cichowicz (Northwestern University).
After completing his master’s degree in 1993, Mark moved to Calgary with his wife, Helen, where they established a teaching studio and began an active freelance career. He continues to teach privately, present brass clinics throughout Alberta, and perform as a freelance musician. Mark is currently the Musical Director and Conductor of Altius Brass and served as Musical Director of the Cappy Smart Band from 2023 to December 2025.
Committed to lifelong learning, Mark continues to develop his conducting skills through participation in conducting symposiums across Canada, including programs at the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto, and most recently the University of Victoria. His primary conducting teachers include Dr. George Corwin and John Paynter — proving that old dogs can learn new tricks.
Mark co-founded Altius Brass in 1995 as a member of the trumpet section and became its Musical Director in 2004, a position he continues to hold today. Mark remains deeply involved in Calgary’s music community through teaching, organizing school clinics throughout the region, and performing as a member of the euphonium section of the Rocky Mountain Concert Band and Alberta Winds, Calgary’s premier wind ensemble, which he co-founded with Dr. Mark Hopkins in 2003. Mark has been featured as a soloist with both the Cappy Smart Band and the Rocky Mountain Concert Band.
His most recent passion project is the formation of a community brass band to represent the city of Calgary, currently the only major city in the Prairie provinces without one.
Mark and his wife, Helen, are the proud parents of three adult children.
