Photo by Christopher Rossi.
Courtesy of The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Website © 2003-2008 Mark Sylvester

Mark is a musician, composer, producer and music instructor based in Takoma Park, Maryland. As a solo guitarist, Mark performs a broad range of instrumental music, including original compositions from his 2003 CD, American Gypsy. Mark also performs as a member of Great Noise Ensemble, a Washington, DC-based new music group. He plays guitar, banjo and mandolin with GNE, and the group has premiered several of Mark's newest works for banjo and small ensemble.

Mark is active in the Washington area's folk and acoustic music scene, and he has earned three WAMMIE nominations (2005, 2006, 2007) for contemporary folk instrumentalist. A sought-after accompanist on guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin, Mark performs and records with many of the area's singer/songrwriters, including Verlette Simon, Sense of Wonder and Iain Campbell Smith. Mark is also a member of the avant-folk group, Tree Surgeons.

Mark is a Company Associate of The Only Animal, a theatre company based in Vancouver, BC. He composed the music for their 2005 production of Other Freds, and his score was nominated for a Jessie Richardson Theatre Award. Mark is currently working with The Only Animal on the creation of NiX, Canada's first theatre of snow and ice.