Mark Pinkus
Mr. Clyde Gilmour, broadcaster and host of CBC’s Gilmour’s Albums wrote about Mark’s music: “Beautiful little stories without words.” Mark Pinkus was born on the anniversary of Beethoven’s death. At the age of 7 Mark began composing music on his yellow acoustic piano. His first composition came to him while he was looking out his living room window, watching a black cat balancing on the window ledge as a rainstorm approached.
Mark’s music reflects his love for nature, love and relationships, moods, travel and his quest for peace and tranquility. Mark’s compositions are like sound paintings, creating picturesque images that take the listener’s imagination on a journey. From one piece to the next, there is a totally different and unique story to be told and unraveled.
On stage, Mark introduces each piece to the audience with an intriguing description of the upcoming composition and what it means to him. His secret is allowing the listener to discover on a personal and intimate level what the music is all about. Mark uses the entire spectrum of the piano to express the intensity and lightness of his compositions.
Mark studied with several piano teachers, most of whom he frustrated by insisting that he play his own compositions, rather than those of the masters. At age 11 he met and was taught by the Canadian composer Anne Eggleston, who encouraged the pre-teen to perform his compositions in public. Throughout his high school years Mark persisted in composing and performing. Mark graduated from McGill University Canada with a degree in Humanities. He received an Italian Language Scholarship, from McGill, which allowed him to travel to Siena, Italy.
Mark returned to Europe and performed for a number of years, predominately in France and Italy. Among his activities in France, Mark hosted a trilingual radio show, on the Italian radio network and he gave a series of lectures to university students in Paris on various aspects of the music industry. Mark started his own music consulting company called MP Music Consulting to assist other musicians to find their way into the numerous avenues of the music industry.
Mark’s solo piano music plays internationally on numerous new age radio stations, online internet programs, and syndicated new age satellite programs such as XM/SIRIUS, MUSIC CHOICE, DMX, and on CBC GALAXIE hosted by Renee Gelpi. Another solo piano broadcast called WHISPERINGS on LIVE365.COM hosted by pianist/composer David Nevue which is an extremely popular show airs Mark’s music regulary.
Over the last few years Mark produced and performed several concerts to sold out audiences at Montreal’s Place des Arts. Mark has successfully produced six recordings of his own piano compositions. His first, “STARTING TO BELIEVE”, (1990) was an impressive national success. However, it was with his second recording “QUIET PLACE” (1995)(now called SIMPLICITY) that Mark’s music penetrated the international market. This CD was on the front cover of the American magazine New Age Voice in 1996.
His third CD “FREE SPIRIT”,(1997), hit number 30 on the USA radio top 50 chart, for instrumental music. Mark released the cd “BREAKTHROUGH” in January 2000, followed by “SLOWLY THE DAY GOES BY” in 2006 and then in 2010 “MY LOVE TO YOU” which was co-produced by Luc Gilbert composer/pianist and producer/arranger of 2 Cirque du Soleil productions.
Mark has sold over 200,000 CDs and cassettes worldwide. The CD “SIMPLICITY” sold 40,000 copies in the first 3 months of its release in 2006. Mark’s music has been used for television and film broadcast in Asia, Europe and North and South America. Global Television’s syndicated TV series entitled “Men of Music” did a 30 minute special on Mark’s life and music that has been getting national airplay for the past several years.
Mark most recent project was the completion of a book to teach music for beginners based on his own original teaching methods, emphasizing musical creativity and self expression.
Mark Pinkus: www.markpinkus.com