Amy Knopps is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Missouri, where she directs Marching Mizzou, Mini Mizzou, Symphonic Band, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the School of Music. After her appointment in 2017, she became one of the first female marching band directors in the SEC and this past June was named chair of the College Band Directors National Association’s Athletic Band Committee, the first woman to hold this position. She has won numerous awards for her teaching, including being named Associate Professor of the Year and recipient of the Purple Chalk Award by the College of Arts and Science in 2021.
Upon Dr. Knopps’ arrival as band director in 2017, Marching Mizzou had just 245 members. By 2022, that number had swelled to 350, with a waitlist of 250 students wanting to join the Best Band in the Land — their historic trip to New York City for the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade brought the program into an international spotlight and has only furthered the band's reputation and prestige.