Michigan native, Mark Cramer, holds degrees from The Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The University of Michigan. He made his solo debut in 2005 with the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and has since toured with three-time, Grammy Award winning “eighth blackbird” and performed the premieres of Steve Reich’s Pulitzer Prize winning “Double Sextet” and Olga Newirth’s “Lost Highway.” Currently, Mark is pursuing a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Clarinet Performance at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition to teaching and performing, Mark has a passion for acoustics and makes his own line of custom clarinet barrels. His dissertation research is focused on defining the acoustical differences between Cocobolo, Grenadilla, Mopane, and Purpleheart hardwoods, as well as acetal homopolymer; Delrin, using barrels that he has designed. His principal teachers include Suzy Bratton, Richard Hawkins, Daniel Gilbert, Anthony Taylor and Kelly Burke.
