- Percussion
Percussionist Mark Suter appears internationally as a chamber musician and collaborative artist. Suter's diverse background has led him to collaborate with an eclectic array of musicians and ensembles. He has appeared on the David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic Channel, NPR, PBS, NHK Japan and the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics in Shanghai. Suter received a Bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan as a Charlie Owen Scholarship recipient studying under Michael Udow, former Principal Percussionist of the Sante Fe Opera and Salvatore Rabbio, former Principal Timpanist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He received a Master's of Music in Percussion Performance from California State University, Northridge studying under the late Karen Ervin Pershing and Brian Kilgore.
Suter joined the SSO as its Associate Principal Percussionist in October 2007. He has held the Principal Percussion position with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, National Symphony of Costa Rica, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Radio City Music Hall Orchestra as well as productions of Mama Mia, On the Town, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Guys and Dolls on Broadway. As a chamber musician, Suter has toured and performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Cuban latin jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera, Brazilian guitarists the Assad Brothers, New York City Ballet, Essential Music, jazz saxophonist Sam Newsome, Persian kemancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor, genre-defying string quartet Brooklyn Rider, Dance Brazil and the Indian cross cultural ensemble Hum.
Since 2000 Mark has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma. With the Ensemble he has not only travelled to many of the major musical centres of the United States and Europe, but also Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Suter appears on all five of the ensemble's albums; Silk Road Journeys, Beyond the Horizon, New Impossibilities, Off the Map and A Playlist Without Borders. He can be seen and heard on the newly released SonyBMG DVD documentary Live from Tanglewood celebrating the 15th year anniversary of the Silk Road Ensemble.
Suter is a founding member of the world beat piano trio: The New Power Trio. With the Trio he has recorded three CD's; The New Power Trio, Echo Park and NPT 2004. The Trio has performed at such venues as the Knitting Factory, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Atlanta Jazz Festival and Grand Performances in Los Angeles. Suter has appeared at the Spoleto Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Lincoln Center Festival and has recorded for SonyBMG, Harmonia Mundi, Koch International, Mode, In a Circle Records, BIS, Instant Encore and Dorian labels.
A committed teacher, Mark has created percussion and dance workshops in cross disciplinary studies at the Academie Musicale de Villecroze in Villecroze, France and has participated as a mentor along with other members of the Silk Road Ensemble in the Weill Institute Professional Training Workshops at Carnegie Hall. Suter currently serves on the music faculty of the Nanyang Academyof Fine Arts and Singapore School of the Arts.
Mark continues to expand his passions under the tutelage of South Indian Master, Sri D Rajagopa.
He teaches at the Académie musicale de Villecroze in 2007.