Marko Marcinko, an experienced musician, arranger and producer, will be director of Jazz Studies in the School of Music, beginning fall 2016.
During his years in the music industry, Marcinko has worked as a freelance musician playing drum set, percussion, piano/keyboards, bass guitar and trombone. He has served as a studio session player, arranger, musical director and producer for numerous commercial jingles, independent films, and off-Broadway, club and theater engagements. He has also worked with Penn State percussionists and has been a guest artist for multiple Penn State Jazz Festivals.
Born in Archbald, Pennsylvania, Marcinko studied technique with drumming master Joe Morello and continued his training at the University of Miami, where he studied classical, jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban styles under professors Fred Wickstrom, Steve Bagby, Steve Rucker, Harry Hawthorne and Ney Resaro.
Marcinko toured and recorded with jazz icon Maynard Ferguson in the mid-1990s and with National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Dave Liebman in the Dave Liebman Group from 2000-14. He currently works with the Dave Liebman Big Band and the Organik Vibe Trio, which features multi-Grammy Award-winning jazz mallet performer Dave Samuels.
He is founder and artistic director of the PA Jazz Alliance and the Scranton Jazz Festival, and has served as consultant, clinician and adjudicator throughout the northeast region.
Over the past 25 years, he has performed with Joe Henderson, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, Slide Hampton, Bob Dorough, Red Rodney, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Mulgrew Miller, Mike Stern, Kurt Elling, Tierney Sutton, Janis Siegel, Terell Stafford, Joe Lovano, Anthony Jackson, Mike Stern and Will Lee; and with popular musicians and entertainers including John Legend, Jon Secada, Joan Rivers, Jay Leno, Connie Francis, Joe Piscopo, Don Rickles, Melba Moore, Juan Gabriel, Clay Aiken, Bob Newhart and Nicol Williamson.