Princeton Youth Brass Band

REGISTER for PYBB HERE

The Princeton Youth Brass Band is excited to announce our 2026 season, beginning on January 26th! We welcome all brass and percussion players in grades 8-12. It is an exciting opportunity for young musicians to enhance their skills, perform and collaborate with members of the Princeton Brass Band, and explore a diverse repertoire including jazz, film, folk, and original brass band literature. We have an exciting season ahead featuring two side-by-side performances with the Princeton Brass Band, including massed band performance opportunities! Additionally, youth band members will have the privilege of working with Russell Gray, one of the world’s most sought-after brass band conductors and the music director of the renowned Foden’s Band from the UK.

Rehearsals begin on Monday, January 26th and run through the end of May, with the final performance of the season on May 31st. All rehearsals will take place on Monday nights at Franklin High School (500 Elizabeth Ave., Somerset, NJ 08873) from 6:30-8:30pm unless otherwise noted. Tuition for the season is $350.

About the Music Director

Max Morden, a highly versatile musician, is celebrated for his remarkable ability to seamlessly transition between diverse musical genres. His performances include orchestras such as the New Jersey Symphony, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, as well as Broadway. He has also performed with renowned artists like Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Wycliffe Gordon, Joe Locke, Gary Oleyar, Matt King, Mark Peterson, Freddie Hubbard, Pete McCann, John Tropea, Max Weinberg, Marshall Crenshaw, Bernard Purdie, and many more.

A substantial portion of his professional engagements involves serving as the principal soloist for numerous churches. In addition, he frequently finds himself in chamber music settings and jazz groups, such as Cubano Be Cubano Bop and his own Max & Friends.

Notably, Morden holds the position of principal solo cornet for the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York, where he also serves as the assistant conductor and lead arranger. Furthermore, Morden has collaborated with rock musicians, including Glen Burtnik, Rob Paparozzi, The Weeklings, and Pat Guadagno. These collaborations have involved horn and string arranging, guitar, vocals, and the leadership of his horn section, aptly named the Maximum Horns. Additionally, he has been a featured soloist on tours with the world-renowned Celtic group Cherish the Ladies for a decade.

Max Morden has also served as the arranger and horn section leader for the house band at numerous New Jersey Hall of Fame Award induction ceremonies. As the lead arranger, Max significantly contributes to three Gramercy Brass Orchestra recordings: Christmas Time Is Here, Brubeck: Bold & Brassy, and A Gramercy Brass Christmas. His compositions span all levels of students, from elementary to college, and extend to churches, choirs, woodwinds, concert band, and artists like Allen Vizzutti, Steve Turre, Scott Mendoker, and his YouTube series, From the Red Room.

In a number of concerts showcasing the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, Max had the privilege of conducting an all-star big band comprising members of the Lincoln Center, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie jazz orchestras.

As an educator, Max dedicated 35 years to the Verona Public Schools, where he initiated students’ musical endeavors in fourth grade and culminated their journey through their participation in high school jazz and brass ensembles. Since 1999, he has been an adjunct professor of brass at Caldwell University and has been the conductor for the Premier Brass at Gramercy Brass Band Camp for two decades. Currently, he serves as a teaching artist at Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School.

Max holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Eastern Michigan University, a Master’s degree in Jazz/Commercial Music Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and Doctoral studies in classical trumpet performance from Rutgers University.