A product of the Poudre School District (including Lincoln Junior High and Poudre High School), Mark has been a freelance musician in the northern Colorado area for many years. In addition to his small jazz group, the Mark Manges Project, Mark holds the position of Musical Director for the Colorado Swing Big Band (formerly known as FortJazz). He performs regularly with the Simply Brass Quintet, the Fort Collins Wind Symphony, and the Ethos West Chamber Orchestra. He has been a featured soloist with both the Ethos West Chamber Orchestra and the Loveland Concert Band. Mark has also performed with other top groups in the area in almost all genres of music (including jazz, classical, and rock and roll) with Mark Sloniker, Fort Collins Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Opera Fort Collins, Bas Bleu Theatre Company, Longmont Symphony, After the Fire, Altered Egos, Holy Moses and the High Rollers and Archie Funker. Mark holds a master’s degree in music performance from Colorado State University and has taught private lessons in the Fort Collins area since before the turn of the century. His students regularly are selected for positions in regional and statewide honor bands and orchestras including Colorado All-State Band, Colorado All-State Orchestra, Northern Colorado Honor Band, Colorado State University Honor Band, and the Poudre School District Middle School Honor Band.