Born in Sarasota, Florida in 1968, Mark Hetzler began playing his Dad's trombone at the age of twelve. He went on to receive a B.M. from Boston University and an M.M. from the New England Conservatory of Music. Mark was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and completed a three-year fellowship with the New World Symphony, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

As a member of the Empire Brass Quintet for the past eleven years, Mark has performed in recital and as a soloist with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, South America and across the United States. He has performed with the quintet on live television and radio broadcasts, and appears on several Empire Brass CDs on the Telarc label.

Mark has released three solo recordings on the Summit record label: American Voices, Serious Songs, Sad Faces and 20th Century Architects. He has also created a series of multi-media programs which involve the live performance of diverse musical styles in coordination with original video and photography. Shooting and editing his own visual material, his concerts use a multitude of instrumental combinations along with sophisticated computer technology. His multi-media program Visions of America has been performed at a variety of venues, including a July 4th concert on the 2006 Interlochen Arts Festival Summer Series. His multi-media shows have been performed in art galleries, concert halls and outdoor venues in New York, Miami and throughout Wisconsin.

Former Principal trombone of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Mark has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Florida Orchestra. Mark is a Valade Fellow teaching trombone and chamber music at the Interlochen Summer Arts Festival. He is also the Assistant Professor of Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a member of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet.