Ally Individual

Dr. Mark Hopkins is a Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In addition to leading the Acadia University Wind Ensemble, Dr. Hopkins teaches undergraduate and graduate Conducting and Music Education foundation courses. Off campus, he co-conducts the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, one of Canada's finest student wind ensembles. He is Artistic Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble (2008-2011, 2013-present), and sits on the Board of Musicfest Canada, the largest music festival in North America.

A native of Toronto, Dr. Hopkins also taught music in high schools for twelve years, including seven years’ service as Chair of the Music Department at Upper Canada College. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the New England Conservatory while serving as Assistant to Frank L. Battisti and was awarded the Gunther Schuller Medal at graduation. His professional work as a Conductor spans the full range of ensembles and genres. He is Founding Music Director (Emeritus) of the Toronto Wind Orchestra and the Alberta Winds, freelance professional wind ensembles in Toronto and Calgary. While he was Artistic Director of the Lands End Chamber Ensemble the group won a Western Canada Music Award for the recording, “Four Degrees of Freedom”. In 2017 Arts Nova Scotia Awarded Dr. Hopkins an Established Artist Award for his work with the new music festival, Shattering the Silence, and in 2019 was awarded the National Band Award by the Canadian Band Association, “ In recognition of outstanding contributions to band at the educational, community, and professional level in Canada.”