Amy M. Knopps

University of Missouri

• BIO

  Dr. Amy M. Knopps is Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Missouri, where she directs Marching Mizzou, Mini Mizzou, the Symphonic Band, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the School of Music. Since her arrival in 2017, Marching Mizzou has grown from 245 to 350 members and has performed in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2024 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland, where they earned “Best Overall Band.” In the fall of 2024, Marching Mizzou accepted an invitation to participate in London Band Week in June of 2026.
  
  Previously, she served for seven years as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands, at Eastern Michigan University becoming the first woman to hold those roles. Dr. Knopps earned degrees from the University of Georgia (DMA), the University of Kansas (MM), and the University of Missouri (BS Ed.). Her teaching career began in Kansas City, Missouri, where she led a thriving band program and received national recognition.
  
  A passionate educator and advocate for new music, Dr. Knopps is active nationally and internationally as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. She serves as Chair of the CBDNA Athletic Bands Committee—the first woman in that role—and holds leadership and membership positions in numerous organizations. Her honors include the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, Associate Professor of the Year, and multiple alumni awards at Mizzou.

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