Motor City Brass Band

Gordon Ward was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England and started learning the cornet at age six with his father. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, he served as a brass teacher and conductor of the Hull Youth Concert Band. He also attended the University of Hull and gained a post graduate certificate in education. He was offered the position as Director of Music for the Salvation Army for Greater New York in 1980 and emigrated to the USA. His duties included overseeing the music programs in 30 centers around the New York area. Gordon also developed summer music conservatories at the famous Star Lake Camp, as well as assuming the directorship of the Greater New York Musicamp. He was the conductor of the GNY Youth Band, and the band undertook tours throughout the USA, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Holland and the UK, as well as producing several recordings. Gordon was appointed as a member of the New York Staff Band and served as principal cornet for over 25 years. During that time, he gained a master’s degree in trumpet performance and was featured on numerous recordings and tours throughout the world. He has had the opportunity to play with the New York Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic Brass and the Canadian Brass and has been a guest conductor at summer music schools/camps throughout the USA, UK, Argentina, Chile, Italy and Spain. Gordon assumed the interim conductor position with the Motor City Brass Band in January 2022 and became the permanent Musical Director and conductor in June of the same year. The band under his leadership has performed many successful concerts, has won the NABBA’s Second Section, won the Challenge Section of the US Open Brass Band Championships three times, and the Challenge Section of the Dublin (OH) Festival of Brass.