Overview
Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship
Area Coordinator, Strings
Director of Orchestras
Conducting
Dr. Mark Laycock is a Professor of Music at Wichita State University, where he holds the Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship. He serves as Director of Orchestras and Coordinator of Strings. He has been recognized with the WSU Excellence in Creative Activity Award, the WSU College of Fine Arts Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Hall of Fame Award from the Kansas Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Dr. Laycock is a member of the Board of Directors of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic; he serves as Chair of Orchestra Activities. From 2015-2024, he was Conductor of the Wichita Youth Symphony.
His work as guest conductor, clinician, or adjudicator spans 35 states. In addition to numerous all-state ensembles, he recently led the All-Northwest Orchestra, with students representing six states. He has served as a faculty member of the Conn-Selmer Institute, The Ohio State University String Teacher Workshop, and the Texas Conducting Workshop. A presenter for numerous state education conferences, Dr. Laycock has also contributed to the Northwest and Northeast Division Conventions of the National Association for Music Education and the Midwest Clinic. He has provided sessions for numerous ASTA National Conferences, worked as adjudicator, clinician, and chair of the National Orchestra Festival, contributed multiple articles to the American String Teacher journal, and served as an appointed member of the ASTA Conducting Committee.
In 2026, Dr. Laycock will be a keynote presenter for the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association National Conference in Sydney, his fifth professional appearance on the continent. He is a five-time invited music education panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Dr. Laycock is a chapter author for the fourth volume of Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra and a featured contributor to Rehearsing the Full Orchestra, both published by GIA.
Bachelor of Arts in music history & literature - University of Southern Califronia
Master of Music in instrumental conducting - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Doctor of Arts in orchestral conducting - University of Northen Colorado