Born: February 3, 1986 Primary Instrument: Piano
Dan Marschak maintains an active schedule as a pianist, composer, arranger, teacher, and recording artist. An Oakland native, he currently resides in Los Angeles, and has performed with many respected artists ” including Kalil Wilson, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, Ambrose Akinmusare, The Elliot Deutsch Big Band, Hitomi Oba, the UCLA Contemporary Large Ensemble (under the direction of Kenny Burrell and James Newton). In 2009, he earned degrees in both Ethnomusicology (Jazz Studies) and Music Composition at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Composition at UCLA.
Dan has studied piano with Bay Area legends Susan Muscarella and Mark Levine, and L.A. greats Tom Rainier, Tamir Hendelman, and Josh Nelson. He has also studied with jazz icons Kenny Burrell, James Newton, Gerald Wilson, Anthony Wilson, and George Bohanon. He has performed as a solo artist and with collaborators at premier venues, including Yoshi’s, the House of Blues, the UCLA Jazz/Reggae Festival, the Central Avenue Jazz Festival, Catalina’s Bar & Grill, the Jazz Bakery, the Jazzschool, Red White + Bluezz, and the Comedy Store.
As a composer, Dan has been fortunate to have mentors who are masters of their craft. Professors Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse, James Newton, Mark Carlson, and Roger Bourland, have played major roles in his development. In addition to his own ensembles, Dan has composed works for vocalist Kalil Wilson, UCLA’s Contemporary Large Ensemble, Philharmonia, Wind Ensemble, and Chorale; as well as smaller groups of varying instrumentation. He has also composed scores for several USC and UCLA student films, commercials, and video games, and remains active as a freelance composer.
His debut album Likewise (2010) has been called “adventurous” and “well developed” by film and jazz legend Lalo Schifrin. Steering clear of conventional formats, the album explores an array of genres, instrumentations, and textures, and includes a number of original compositions that demonstrate his personal style.
“Dan Marschak has an exceptionally deep knowledge and love for jazz. As a pianist, he’s learned the styles of the great pianists, studying them and integrating his discoveries and his perception into his own very personal voice. He plays with a solid understanding of the inner harmonic workings of the music and a fresh and imaginative improvisatory gift. I always enjoy listening to whatever he has to say musically” -JOHN ADAMS Pulitzer Prize-winning Composer
“Dan is one of the best young players on the scene!” - MARK LEVINE Pianist and Author of The Jazz Piano Book
“Dan is a wonderfully inventive pianist and composer with, I’m certain, a bright future!” -RUTH PRICE President and Artistic Director, The Jazz Bakery
“As both a pianist and composer, Dan Marschak is developing a unique musical voice. I’m repeatedly impressed by his melodic and harmonic inventiveness.” -CHARLEY HARRISON Associate Director of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra
“Dan Marschak is a superb musician: creative, disciplined, completely individual … he has already developed a powerful personal voice that is rhythmically spunky and harmonically very advanced. His compositional style is contemporary, rhythmically bright, harmonically rich, and melodically very lyric. He also excels in more traditional compositional writing, with excellent counterpoint and imaginative orchestration.” ” PAUL CHIHARA Composer, Head of UCLA’s Visual Media Dept.
“A restless musical imagination that will keep his music growing and growing for years to come. Always ready to explore new sonic directions, to collaborate creatively with others, to compose music that really paints a picture, and explore hidden corners in well-worn standards, Dan is someone whose music I look forward to hearing unfold as the years go by.” -TAMIR HENDELMAN Pianist, Composer, Recording Artist
“Dan Marschak is a great young talent. A pianist and composer who is a force to be reckoned with.” -Dr. BOBBY RODRIGUEZ Grammy-nominated trumpeter
“Dan Marschak is a wonderful up-and-coming pianist, composer, and arranger. He is one of those artists that has it all: Brilliant musicianship, inspired writing, and a great personality. I expect great things from him.” - JOSH NELSON Pianist, Composer, Recording Artist
Primary Instrument:
Piano
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Willing to teach:
Beginners
