Violin with Marcus B.

New York-based violist Marcus B. is an experienced musician with a passion for collaborating with other enthusiastic musicians and teaching music to future generations. He has a combined experience of over 10 years which includes performing and teaching. Marcus is currently an undergraduate student studying viola at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College with Brett Deubner. He has performed in LeFrak Concert Hall, Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall, and the Adelphi Performing Arts Center under the batons of Mark Powell, Harry Marenstein, and Matthew Pierce. An avid chamber musician, Marcus has worked with chamber coaches including Daniel Phillips, Marcy Rosen, Morey Ritt, and Magdalena Filipczak and has participated in masterclasses with violists Martha Katz and Tim Frederiksen. He was the first American violist participating in the inaugural String Festival of Siracusa, Sicily.  As an orchestral musician, Marcus has earned numerous positions including being a member of the Queens College Symphony Orchestra, principal viola of the Gemini Youth Symphony Orchestra, Nassau Community College Orchestra, co-principal viola of Long Island String Festival Association, and in numerous Nassau Music Educators Associations All-County festivals. In his final year as a high school student, he founded, directed, and led a string ensemble as a violinist and performed in the Empire State Plaza Concourse. Marcus began playing the viola in his elementary school orchestra program at age eight. He continued until age fourteen without a private instructor under the guidance of his public school orchestra instructors. In high school, Marcus studied with Jill Boardman, a Juilliard-trained violinist. Starting in 2015, Marcus was an intern at his school's summer music program where he taught beginner and intermediate lessons in violin, viola, cello, and double bass. He has been teaching private lessons for over five years at the New York Musician’s Center. He enjoys playing in orchestras, weddings, chamber ensembles, and musicals! He is also a member of the American Viola Society.  Aside from music, Marcus enjoys photography, videography, drinking coffee, finding new vegetarian recipes, and spending time with his family.