biography
Marco was born in Locarno and grew up in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. After attending the commercial school and the few years of practising his skills, Marco decided to go ahead with studying the clarinet at the Zurich Music Academy under Hansjürg Leuthold and Heinz Hofer. He also studied wind orchestra conducting under Franco Cesarini with whom he consolidated his skills in instrumentation and arranging.
After he received his diploma in orchestral performance and teaching, he became adjunct clarinetist for the orchestra of the Zurich Opera House. He then was selected as adjunct clarinetist for the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana. Marco earned his soloist diploma with a "First Prize for Virtuosity" from the Lausanne Music Academy, where he had studied clarinet under Frédéric Rapin. After having taken lessons with George Robert, he participated in various Jazz workshops with Gary Burton/Makoto Ozone, Oliver Ker Ourio and George Gruntz. He has also taken part in "Berklee at Umbria Jazz" and Zurich Jazz School programs.
Chamber music and concerts with the Zurich Opera Orchestra, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Winterthur Musikkollegium, the Schweizer Philharmonie, Collegium Musicum St. Gallen and the "Soli Wind Ensemble" (Italy).
Regarding Jazz, concerts with different groups in Switzerland and the United States. Performances at "Estival Jazz" Lugano, the "Montreux Jazz Festival Off" and the "Blues to Bop" Lugano. During his stay in New York: concerts with various groups, among them the Michael Rabinowitz quartet (Mingus Orchestra). Lessons with Ken Peplowski.
Marco is presently promoting his own projects: composing and arranging his pop-songs “Partenza” as well as his own jazz tunes written for the duo with the pianist Paolo Alderighi; the re-arranging of famous Italian music for his quartet "Viaggio sujazztivo"; composing and arranging traditional folksongs for clarinet and saxophone family "Belli in zona", being inspired by the culture of his homeland; developing his conception of chamber-jazz for "Duo d'Acier", a clarinet and guitar formation; promoting classical as well as modern pieces for clarinet and cello together with Mattia Zappa; reinterpreting jazz standards with the "Santilli's Coffee Correction" quartet. With subject to classical music, Marco has taken the assignment of arranging a choice of classical pieces for the cyclus “Opera viva” of the Zurich Opera and actively takes part in its orchestra.
