Please take a moment to listen to the clips on my website, and do not hesitate to contact me with comments or proposals!

Mark Nowakowski is an emerging composer who is garnering performances across the United States and in Europe. A proud native of Chicago, he completed his formal studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Colorado, and Illinois State University, from which he graduated with honors in both Music Composition and Arts Technology.

In the spring of 2009, he served as a Guest Lecturer and adjunct instructor at the Jagiellonian University's Transatlantic Studies
Institute. In 2008, he served as the composer-in-residence for the Canton Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of "Multimode
Filter," an electronic music composer collaboration. He is also the music coordinator for the Foundation for Sacred Arts.

His Via Lucis for string orchestra was selected by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony as part of their 2008 Young and Emerging
Composers Competition Concert. Recent commissions include a forthcoming work for the Cracow Brass Quintet, the children's
piece Maysong for the Canton Symphony Orchestra, A Song for Lucy for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, My Judas Kiss for the ISU Wind Symphony, and Proximities, commissioned by Dr. Paul Nolen and premiered at the 2008 North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference.

He has attended the Krakow Summer Academy of Music, the MusicX festival, and the UNL Chamber Music Institute for which he
composed the piano trio Reaching. In 2008 he received the Cleveland Institute's Donald Erb Award for outstanding achieve-
ment in composition, while also being a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould award. He was a first place winner at the 2002 ISU
Arts Technology Annual.

The son of Polish immigrants, Mark's music derives its philosophical influences from the interplay between his Polish and American upbringings as well as the dynamics of a bicultural existence. In addition, he is deeply influenced by the long history of Roman Catholic Mysticism, always seeking the transcendent elements which must be present in truly useful art. A strong believer in the power of art and cultural education, he has taught at every level, dedicating his free time to promoting educational experiences in the interrelated fields of music, faith, and culture.

From website: "...I believe in honesty as much as craft. The contemporary composer is in a position without precedence, having both the unequaled historical perspective and vast sonic pallet to be able to create truly meaningful yet personal sounds. Music is a window into the soul, and therefore new music must also be emotionally and spiritually meaningful, giving it a chance to become part of everyday life outside of the sphere of specialty. Those people who seek daily depth in their lives should have a "new" music they can cling to..."

"Fanfare" -- for the Cracow Brass Quintet

"Whippersnapper" -- for the Lunar Sax Quartet, London.

"Trio No. 3" (For Horn, Piano, and Violin, Commissioned by Kit Weber for the Ann Arbor afternoon chamber series.)

"Ikona" for Wind Ensemble

"A Song for Lucy" - Commissioned by the Cleveland Museum of Natural
History. Premiere date: Dec 11th, 2007. (For Flute, Viola, Soprano and Percussion.)

"String Quartet No. 1" - premiered in Cleveland in May 2007, NY Premiere Pending

"Aevum" - premiered by the ISU Symphony Orchestra in September of 2007, and previously read by the CIM Orchestra

"Another Horizon", commissioned for the McHenry High School Symphonic Band.

"Blood, Forgotten", for Violin and Multimedia. Recorded by Marcin Arendt, and premiered in February of 2006 at the "Sandwiched by Chopin" festival in Colorado.

"Blood, Forgotten, Orchestral Reprise"

"Abruptions" -- for septet (Fl,Cl,Vl,Vc,Pn,2 Perc), recorded in December 2005.

"Snow" for SSAA Choir, premiered by University of Colorado Women's Chorus in April of 2005.

"A Meditation on Mercy" for Double Chorus. Premiere pending.

"Sonnet #6", based on the Neruda sonnet of the same name. For violin, soprano, and piano. Premiered by the Arendt Duo in April of 2005.