Mark Tipton

About the Artist

Mark Tipton is currently a D.M.A. Candidate in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston, MA. During the past 20 years has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, Michigan, Ohio, and Maine, working as a trumpeter, composer, music educator, producer, and nonprofit leader. He is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, and holds a BM in Trumpet Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and an MM in Trumpet Performance from the Mannes College of Music (NYC). He has studied trumpet with Ryan Anthony, Jack Sutte, Roy Poper, Charley Davis, and Vincent Penzarella, and has performed with such artists as Ray Barretto, Vassar Clements, JoAnn Falletta, Yves Abel, John Williams, Elliott Schwartz, Quincy Jones, David Liebman, Bobby McFerrin, Vince Giordano, The Temptations and The Four Tops, Reverend Billy, and Maria Schneider.

Mark founded Les Sorciers Perdus (“The Lost Wizards”), a genre-defying contemporary musical ensemble, in 2009, serving as its director, trumpeter, and primary composer. Current personnel includes: guitarist Ryan Blotnick, saxophonist Danny Fisher-Lochhead, bassist Tyler Heydolph, percussionist Beau Lisy, and Mark on trumpet/keyboard. LSP occasionally includes guest performers such as guitarist Don Pride, cellist Benjamin Noyes, saxophonist Tracy McMullen, pianist Peter Dugas, poet/speakers Gil Helmick and Alan Brooks, drummer Peter McLaughlin, and flautist Carl Dimow.

LSP released their debut CD, “Alchemist’s Dream” in March of 2017. The album is dedicated to the memory of the group’s founding bassist, the late Chris Sprague, and was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. LSP primarily presents public performances of compositions by Mark Tipton, including original silent film scores, jazz works, contemporary chamber music pieces, performance art installations, and arrangements of World Folk Music. LSP also presents educational workshops in schools and through all-ages community forums. Most recently they have recorded a new album of original jazz works by members of the ensemble and Mark's full-length silent film score for "Joan of Arc," (these are forthcoming releases in 2021-22; the latter project was funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts).

Les Sorciers Perdus have performed at: SPACE Gallery, The Colonial Theatre, Studzinski Recital Hall at Bowdoin College, Given Auditorium at Colby College, Mayo Street Arts, One Longfellow Square, the Saco River Theatre, Blue, The Apohadion Theatre, First Parish and Woodford’s Church in Portland, and at private venues throughout Maine. Recent silent film highlights include: "The General" & "Metropolis" at The Colonial Theatre in Belfast; "Sunrise," "7th Heaven" & "Joan of Arc" at the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) at the Waterville Opera House; "Nosferatu" at the 1932 Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor; "The Phantom Carriage" at The Grand in Ellsworth; "Safety Last!" & "Robin Hood" at The Strand in Rockland; "The Haunted Castle" at Mayo Street Arts; "The Patsy" at a private house concert series in Bowdoinham; and selected short films by Buster Keaton & Charley Bowers at the Eastport Arts Center. Additional recent highlights include performances at the Back Cove Contemporary Music Festival in Portland, ME and the gravity sessions at the Apohadion Theatre in Portland, ME, including collaborations with TRIAGE, Ear Bus, Barbara Truex Ensemble, Phil James, Gil Helmick, Betsy Sholl, Rush Brown, Duane Ingalls, Jim Winters, and others. LSP have been featured on MPBN, WERU, and WMPG (radio), WCSH-6’s “Area Code 207” show (TV), and in the Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal, and Knox Village/Republican Journal newspapers.

As a composer, Mark has written 14 full-length silent film scores, 17 shorter silent film scores, works for orchestra and various chamber ensembles, jazz works for small groups and big band, solo trumpet and brass ensemble pieces, a ballet, and performance art installations. He currently teaches remotely at UMaine at Orono and UMaine at Augusta, as well as through his private studio. Mark has served as Executive Director of the Portland Conservatory of Music (PCM) and as Development Director at WERU Community Radio and the 1932 Criterion Theatre. He has also taught on the adjunct faculties of Bowdoin College, Colby College, PCM, and the USM School of Music, and has led music workshops at elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, and community education centers throughout the state. His website can be found at: www.marktiptonmusic.com.