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  • April 17, 2009
  • Christine Davis Mantai

Mark Hodges
Mark Hodges website

What: Percussion Master Class with guest artist Mark Hodges

When: Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m.

Where: Room 1051, Mason Hall

Notes: Free and open to the community

The SUNY Fredonia School of Music will host a percussion master class featuring guest artist Mark Hodges from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) on Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m. in Room 1051 of Mason Hall. Hodges will work with current percussion students and interested community members are invited to observe.

Hodge’s master class is one of the several opportunities SUNY Fredonia students have to work with and learn from various BPO members. BPO musicians come to campus and lead several master classes annually; part of the many master class opportunities that School of Music majors receive from regional, national and world-renowned guest artists throughout each year.

Hodges has held the position of principal percussionist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra since 1998. During this time he has been a featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic and has performed for the National Public Radio shows, Performance Today, SymphonyCast, and From the Top, as well as other NPR international broadcasts. He has also performed on the last seventeen CDs made by the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Mark has performed and recorded with the Cleveland Orchestra including several Deutsche Grammophon CDs under the direction of Pierre Boulez, and toured with many orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and the Soviet Union.

Prior to Hodge’s engagement with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, he held the position of principal percussionist of the West Virginia Symphony, principal percussionist of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and percussionist of the Erie Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Other orchestral appearances include the Cleveland Orchestra, Louisville Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Canton Symphony, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

Hodges is the founder of Druminar™, a drum circle team building/ leadership program designed to teach both business managers and employees the value of highly functioning teams, resulting in increased levels of employee/team engagement and business performance. Musical and percussive concepts, and interactive exercises help participants identify and replicate experiences of highly engaged teams in their workplace.

Hodges has served as the chair of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's players committee, and has been a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic board of Trustees, orchestra artistic committee, negotiating committee, and education committee.

As an artist for Zildjian Cymbals, Hodge’s has been a guest percussionist of the Percussive Arts Society international convention and percussion clinician for the Western New York Day of Percussion. Mark received his Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance form the Cleveland Institute of Music and his B.M. in Percussion Performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

For more information, please visit www.fredonia.edu/music.