Mark Summer, Cellist
Cellist Mark Summer is a founding member of the two-time Grammy®-winning Turtle Island Quartet, and is widely regarded, thanks not least to his phenomenal percussion and pizzicato techniques, as one of the outstanding cellists of our time.
He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was a student of former principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, Stephen Geber. In 2008, he was awarded a Distinguished Alumnae award from CIM. Summer was a tenured member of the Winnipeg Symphony from 1981-1984, before leaving the orchestra to perform in several Canadian contemporary and Baroque ensembles, as well as his own group, The West-End String Band. Asked to perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1985, the group went on to record Summer’s original music for CBC Radio. In the fall of 1985, Summer visited the Bay Area where he was invited by David Balakrishnan to help form Turtle Island.
Mark continued to touch base with his classical roots, performing with the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, the Oakland Symphony, Oakland Ballet, and the contemporary music ensemble, Earplay. In the 28 years since embarking on an improvisational musical odyssey, Summer has continued to develop a unique and multi-timbered style, which incorporates virtuoso jazz soloing, distinctive bass lines, and extensive percussive techniques adapted from the guitar, bass and drums.
He has been the subject of feature articles in Strings and Bass Player magazines, and has published several pieces for solo cello, one of which, “Julie-O,” has been performed by cellists all over the world,and was recently featured on two episodes of NBC's Parenthood.
In addition to composing and performing with Turtle Island, Summer is currently performing in a trio with jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton, a five-time Grammy® nominated singer, most recently in 2013. Summer also performed in a trio with clarinet virtuoso Paquito D’Rivera of which their recording, The Jazz Chamber Trio, was nominated for a Grammy® in 2005, and includes Mark’s piece Kalimba for solo cello.
Kalimba is Mark’s fourth piece to be published by the German publisher Ponticello Edition. It is also available on this site in the Sheet Music Shop.
Summer has recorded on numerous motion picture soundtracks and performed and/or appeared on albums with singers Linda Ronstadt, Toni Childs, guitarist Jeff Tamelier of Tower of Power, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and guitarist Will Ackerman. His more notable cello exploits include performing the Brahms Clarinet Trio in a sandstone grotto by the banks of the Colorado River in Moab, Utah, and a performance on Taos Mountain at 11,000 feet on a cello made of ice.
Widely regarded as one of the outstanding cellists of our time, Mark Summer is known worldwide for his phenomenal percussion and pizzicato techniques combined with bowed jazz and fiddle phrasing. Mark is a co-founder of the two-time Grammy®-winning Turtle Island Quartet, and was the quartet's cellist for 30 years.
He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was a student of former principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, Stephen Geber. In 2008, he was awarded a Distinguished Alumnae award from CIM. Mark was a tenured member of the Winnipeg Symphony from 1981–1984, before leaving the orchestra to perform in several Canadian contemporary and Baroque ensembles, as well as his own group, The West-End String Band. Asked to perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1985, the group went on to record Mark’s original music for CBC Radio. In the fall of 1985, Mark visited the Bay Area where he was invited by David Balakrishnan to help form Turtle Island Quartet.
Mark continued to touch base with his classical roots, performing with the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, the Oakland Symphony, Oakland Ballet, and the contemporary music ensemble, Earplay. Over 30 years since embarking on an improvisational musical odyssey, Mark has continued to develop a unique and multi-timbered style, which incorporates virtuoso jazz soloing, distinctive bass lines and extensive percussive techniques adapted from the guitar, bass and drums.
He has been the subject of feature articles in Strings and Bass Player magazines, and has published several pieces for solo cello; his best known and beloved “Julie-O,” has been performed by cellists all over the world, and was featured on two episodes of NBC‘s “Parenthood.”
In addition to composing and his past performances with Turtle Island Quartet, Mark has performed and recorded with jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton, a seven-time Grammy®-nominated singer. Mark also performed in a trio with clarinet virtuoso Paquito D’Rivera; their recording, The Jazz Chamber Trio, was nominated for a Grammy® in 2005, and includes Mark’s piece “Kalimba” for solo cello.
Mark has recorded on numerous motion picture soundtracks and performed and/or appeared on albums with Linda Ronstadt, Toni Childs, guitarist Jeff Tamelier of Tower of Power, singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, and guitarist Will Ackerman.
In 2011, he made his American debut as an orchestral soloist, premiering David Balakrishan's cello concerto "Force of Nature," written especially for Mark. In 2013 he had his European solo premier, performing the concerto with both the Neuss Chamber Orchestra and the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt. To listen, click here.
Mark’s compositions for solo cello, as well as cello duo, violin and cello duo, solo violin, and bass versions of Julie-O can be found at www.marksummer.net/store