Composer and multi-instrumentalist
blends the sounds, styles, and instruments of American folk music with the experimental spirit of contemporary classical and art rock.
He performs as a solo guitarist and singer-songwriter, as an accompanist, and as a member of Great Noise Ensemble.
His compositions can be heard on his two solo CDs: New Music for Banjo, which was awarded the 2009 WAMMIE Award for Classical Recording; and American Gypsy, a collection of 15 original pieces for solo guitar.
Mark has been a member of the Washington-based Great Noise Ensemble(GNE) since it's inception in 2005.
GNE is dedicated to performing new works and promoting emerging talent in contemporary classical music.
In addition to performing as a soloist and with GNE, Mark is active in the Washington area's folk and acoustic music scene.
He performs and records with many of the area's singer-songwriters, and he has earned numerous WAMMIE nominations for Contemporary Folk Instrumentalist.
Ruthie will be joined by two of her "Wrangers," Greg Hardin and Bill Starks, so we will have
is a Maryland folk group that has combined many talents to create a new sound from traditional folk songs. Fred Cherney (banjo and guitar) and Leslie Smile (violin), being two thirds of the group Kensington Station, were recently joined by Shirley Echols (violin and guitar) and John Werntz (bass) for a couple of concerts that featured Shenandoah Run. Their success at the Shenandoah Run concerts, encouraged these four musicians to continue on together as Kensington Depot. They have an attention grabbing repertoire of traditional folk standards plus a lively mix of Irish, Old Time, and contemporary tunes.