(1952 — 2023)
Glenn Taylor was the conductor of the Portland Metro Concert Band from the group’s 2017-2018 season until his death in 2023.
In his youth, Glenn first learned flute, then piano and saxophone, followed in his adult years by the trombone. In junior high school, he began conducting groups at school, and in high school was the Student Conductor of both the junior high and high school band. During his college years, he was the Conductor of the Cadet Band at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. While there, he led a brass ensemble that later joined both the Protestant and Catholic Chapel Choirs, playing with those groups both on campus and at locations in the northeastern United States.
After his military service, Glenn moved to Portland, where he founded Encore Brass in 1978, which he conducted until 2018 when he retired from the group and was named Conductor Emeritus. In 2003 he founded a saxophone ensemble, Second Wind, which played quartet, quintet and sextet repertoire. He joined the Dixie Cups, a Beaverton-based Dixieland group in 2014, playing baritone saxophone and trombone, and took over bandleader duties there from 2017-2020, after the passing of their founder. From 2015 – 2017 he played with the Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra as a reed player. Besides playing with the groups above, Glenn sub’d in other musical groups around town, mostly on flute and saxophone.
Glenn’s work career was primarily with non-profit organizations. He retired as Director of Operations at Saturday Academy in June 2015 and resided in northeast Portland.
Glenn passed away from kidney failure on June 27, 2023.
Last Updated on July 15, 2023 by Curt Ryan Cassingham