ABOUT
Master of Music in Composition - San Francisco Conservatory of Music - 2015
Bachelor of Music in Composition, Bassoon Performance, and Music Education - University of Cincinnati (CCM) - 2012
Marko Bajzer is a Croatian-American composer, visual artist, bassoonist, wilderness guide, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
COMPOSITION
Bajzer has written for a variety of media, including orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber music, voice, and electronics. His commissions include the Reno Philharmonic and the North State Symphony, with other works performed by the Travis Air Force Band of the Golden West, Blue Lake Festival Orchestra, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble, the CCM Brass Choir, the CCM Chamber Players, San Francisco Choral Artists, Yerba Buena Brass Quintet, Splinter Reeds Quintet, Blue Lake Festival Band, and others.
Bajzer's current large-scale project is From Sea to Shining Sea; a Musical Journey through America’s National Parks, a series of pieces depicting scenes from national parks across the United States. He was the Artist-in-Residence at Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2022 and wrote Lassen Awakes, which was performed by the North State Symphony in 2023. He was the 2023 Artist-in-Residence at Great Basin National Park, which will result in a performance by the Reno Philharmonic on March 22/23, 2025 of a piece entitled The Sacrifice of Prometheus. His 2024 residencies include Joshua Tree and Voyageurs National Parks.
Bajzer earned his Bachelor of Music in music composition from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, He obtained his Master of Music degree in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers include Mason Bates, Dan Becker, Douglas Knehans, and Joel Hoffman, with additional studies with Samuel Adler, Derek Bermel, Ellen Harrison, Michael Fiday, and David Schneider. He is currently a Lecturer in Music Theory and Composition at California State University - East Bay.
BASSOON
Bajzer is also an active bassoonist and contrabassoonist. For the 2022-2023 season he is the Interim Principal Bassoonist of the North State Symphony. He was an Artist-in-Residence with the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center for the duration of the program, where he was the 2nd bassoonist in Symphony Napa Valley. Previously he was the principal bassoonist of the Austin (MN) Symphony Orchestra and the Mayo Clinic Chamber Symphony Orchestra. He has also played with ensembles across California, including the Modesto Symphony, Travis Air Force Band of the Golden West, Vallejo Symphony, Ukiah Symphony Orchestra, Lake County Symphony, Elevate Ensemble, Mercury Soul, Art Haus, and others. Bajzer was a featured soloist with the Rochester Chamber Music Society and the Mayo Clinic Chamber Symphony Orchestra, performing the final movement of Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in Bb Major K. 191 with the latter orchestra. Bajzer earned his Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music; He also appeared as the bassoonist in the short film, Philharmonia Fantastique, the Making of the Orchestra. His primary teachers include William Winstead, John Miller, Martin James, and Jennifer Welch; with additional studies with Arthur Weisberg and David Oyen.
TEACHING
It is important to Bajzer to enable others to participate and enjoy music as well as to educate future generations of musicians. Bajzer has taught music from preschool through graduate students, currently teaching music theory and composition at California State University - East Bay and bassoon at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts as well as several other high school and middle schools in San Francisco. He has previously taught at KIPP College Preparatory School in San Francisco; Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati; the Rochester Catholic School District in Rochester, Minnesota; and in the Napa Preschool District. Bajzer earned his Bachelor of Music in music education from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. Additionally, he offers private lessons on bassoon, and theory/ composition.
VISUAL ART
Bajzer has produced a number of paintings and sculptures, the latter of which utilizes shards of broken mirror as the primary medium. As an artist, he aims to balance between abstraction and personal connection, creating custom works that are both aesthetically pleasing as well as personally connected to the client. His sculptures and paintings can be found in private and public places across the country, including in New York, Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Mill Valley (CA), Rochester (MN), and Livermore (CA). His primary influences are Art Deco; De Stijl; his godfather, Marko Spalatin; and stained glass windows.
ADMINISTRATION
Bajzer’s work as a composer and performer has naturally led him to also produce various concerts and series. While in Cincinnati, he helped produce a series of American Music Recitals through Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Eta-Omicron Chapter. He was a co-producer for the Hot Air Music Festival, a day-long marathon of new music taking place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Then for over four years he served as the Managing Director of Mercury Soul, an organization that produces shows that combine classical music and electronic dance music led by Mason Bates. In this role, he developed skills such as curation/programming, budgeting, contracting, fundraising, grant-writing, running board meetings, nonprofit taxes, marketing, developing and executing educational programs, and most other responsibilities of a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Following his tenure as Managing Director, he continues to serve as an Operations Advisor.
He presently resides in Mill Valley, CA with his partner and three plants: Cornelia, Cornelia, and Jeff.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
(Photography by Evan Blaser)
