Music Composed by Mark Francis. Commissioned by Royal Northern College of Music for the RNCM Wind Weekend 2009. Performed by RNCM Massed Wind Ensemble in the RNCM Concert Hall, Conducted by Mark Heron. 

Cedar Mvt 2 for Massed Wind Ensemble (2009)

Mark J Francis is a 29
 yr old Freelance Composer, Pianist and originally from the North of England, and currently based in London, UK. 

Mark started composing music from an early age (8) and performed in many local Concerts, Festivals and Competitions including Chethams Summer School for Pianists under the tuition of Les Chisnall (aged 11) and Harrogate Competitive Festival (age 13). Whilst at High School, Mark took extra lessons in Harmony and Counterpoint from his Keyboard teacher J. Barry Stephens ARCM which laid the foundations for an academic interest in Composition.

In 2008 he won the award for “Most Outstanding Contribution to the School” at the Junior RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) and proceeded to be accepted with a Scholarship onto the RNCM’s prestigious Joint Principal Study Course a Year early where he studied with Gary Carpenter and Larry Goves as well being a Trombone Student at the College.

In 2009, he was awarded the “Terence Greeves Prize” for his Big Band Composition “City Peaks” which was premiered at Bollington Jazz Festival (Peak District).

His works have been performed by both Professional and upcoming Professional musicians on the UK Jazz and Classical circuit aswell as receiving performances in Germany and Italy. As a Performer (Piano as well as Trombone), he has toured and performed with such ensembles as the National Youth Orchestra, National Youth Brass Band, RNCM Concert Orchestra, Beat’s and Pieces Big Band ("Burghausen JazzWoche" Jazz Competition 2011 - Winners), Soul Tubes, Anisa Quartet (Europaische Jazz Akademie - Resident Ensemble 2012) and Dartington Festival Orchestra as well as having supported Berlin Jazz Orchestra Director Jiggs Whigham at Band on the Wall in Manchester with his own Jazz Quartet “Anisa”. In his time as a Trombonist, he has been fortunate to play under Conductors such as Roland Boer, Vasily Petrenko, Antonio Pappano, James Macmillan and Diego Masson. Mark has also been fortunate enough to appear in the same concert as Jazz Legends Chick Corea and Gary Burton.

He has played at venues such as the Sage (Gateshead), The Barbican, Snape Maltings, Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Band on the Wall, as well European Venues “Landes Musik Akademie – Heek”, Burghausen Concert Hall – Burghausen and Montepulciano Town “Piazza Grande” – Tuscany.

Highlights as a Composer have included commissions for RNCM’s (Royal Northern College of Music) Wind Weekend, Chamber Music Festival as well as performances at two well known European Music Festivals – “Europaische JazzAkademie 2012” and the “35th Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte”. He was also asked in 2010 to write a piece for the Former LSO Principal Trombone Player, Christopher Houlding on his Duet CD which would have featured Vienna Philharmonic Principal Trombone Ian Bousfield (widely recognized as one of the World’s most accomplished Brass Soloists). 

During his time at the RNCM, Mark also wrote many arrangements for the ensembles that he played in and still continues to arrange freelance. He has also played as a Pianist at Park Regis Kris Kin 5* Hotel in Dubai and 5* Hotels in London including "The Wellesley Hotel" as well "The Lanesborough Hotel",  one of Forbes Travel Guide's "finest 5* Properties in the World" .

More Recently, Mark was happy to perform with Anisa Quartet at the Band on the Wall in March 2014 alongside Former BBC Big Band Conductor, Internationally Renowned American Trombonist and Berlin Jazz Orchestra Director Jiggs Whigham (as well as premiering on of his own Jazz Tunes in the first half) as part of a Solo Feature in the National Trombone Day, and was invited back October 2015 with "STUntmen". 

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Check out some of Mark Francis' other music!:

www.soundcloud.com/mark-francis-pianist

www.soundcloud.com/mark-francis-producer

www.soundcloud.com/anisa-quartet

www.soundcloud.com/stuntmentrio

"Blue Is..." Debut Solo EP is available to stream on Spotify, available to purchase on ITunes and available on most Online Music Platforms!

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Mark Francis is a 29
 yr old British Jazz and Classical Pianist originally from the North of England, and currently based in London, UK. 

He studied with Les Chisnall (Jazz Improvisation and Composition) at the Chetham's International Summer School for Pianists in 2001/2 and gained entry to the Junior RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) in 2006 where he studied with Jonathan Middleton. 

During his early years, he played in many Concerts at the Royal Northern College of Music and in Harrogate including premiering many of his own Compositions and in 2008, he was accepted into the Royal Northern College of Music a year early to study Composition + Performance and concluded his studies there in December 2012. 

As a Performer, he has played, and taught at the European Jazz Academy (2012) alongside some of the most accomplished Jazz Musicians hailing from Europe, and further a field, giving Masterclasses and Concerts to people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds. His ensemble "Anisa" were titled "Ensemble in Residence" at the EJA 2012 and also recently were invited to perform alongside it's Director, the American Soloist, Jiggs Whigham (ex-BBC Big Band Director and Berlin Jazz Orchestra Conductor) at the National Trombone Day in Manchester (Band on the Wall) where Jiggs Whigham headlined the festival.

 Mark has played in several 5* Hotels in the UAE and the UK (Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai and several London Hotels - Knightsbridge and Marble Arch areas resectively) as well as having played in, since March 2016, "The Wellesley Hotel" (Formerly famous London Venue "Pizza on the Park") and "The Lanesborough Hotel", one of Forbes Travel Guides "Finest 5* Properties in the World (2015/16)" which he plays at regularly. He also plays at the "Soho Business Club"  on Carlisle Street in Soho (London) in it's Award Winning Piano Bar. Visit http://www.pianobarsoho.com for more information. 

He has had the pleasure of working with Bulgarian Jazz Singer "Maya Krasteva" as part of the Park Regis Kris Kin Resident Jazz Duo in 2014/2015 and was also joined briefly by Julia Naidenko during this time. 

More Recently, Mark formed a New, Manchester based Trio called "Stuntmen" which performed at Leeds University with Jiggs Whigham in October 2015 and he is now hoping to move forward successfully with. You can listen to the Trio's newly recorded 5 Track EP and read more about them at:
www.soundcloud.com/stuntmentrio
www.stuntmentrio.co.uk


Contact: markjosephfrancis@gmail.com 
Website: www.markjosephfrancis.com

Cedar Mvt 2 for Massed Wind Ensemble (2009)

Mark Francis - Composer