Mark De Zwaan

Biography

Performer and pedagogue Dr. Mark De Zwaan has made his career as a veritable Swiss-army knife of the music world. As concert pianist, De Zwaan has captivated listeners on stages across the globe with his depth of expression and explosive virtuosity. As technologist, De Zwaan has spent decades in professional audio production and system design. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Bradley University, De Zwaan has instructed disparate subjects across the music curriculum including applied and group piano, music technology, music theory, aural skills, and music history.

In the classical realm, De Zwaan has been featured as a piano soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and China, including appearances on series such as the Silvermine Artist Series and The Steinway Sessions, and at venues such as the Hangzhou Steinway Gallery and Steinway’s Pacific Headquarters in Shanghai. As an artist teacher, De Zwaan has given masterclasses around the world and has served on judges committees from Luckenwalde, Germany to Charleston, Illinois. His affinity for the repertoire of Franz Liszt has made the composer a mainstay of De Zwaan’s programs and lectures, and has inspired his association with the American Liszt Society, leading to many appearances as a performer and lecturer for ALS festivals and conferences. Also a seasoned jazz pianist, De Zwaan frequents venues throughout central Illinois both as soloist and within the rhythm section of larger groups. He has been featured on January Jazz and in regular performance engagements at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, presenting works that span the contemporary and popular spectrums.

In the technology realm, De Zwaan has engineering sessions for complete operatic productions, philharmonic orchestras, jazz bands, rock groups, and classical recitals. He is a skilled audio editor that has worked with countless classical artists for track finalization and restoration. He has spearheaded location sound for film and tracked professional audiobooks for mainstream publishing, and his skills in audio-system design have benefitted independent studios, educational institutions, and live venues throughout the midwest. Passionate about the techniques of electronic-music production, De Zwaan has forged many courses in music technology and computer music, and enjoys connecting with young artists as an adjudicator for electronic-music categories in the Illinois Music Educators Association’s state composition contest.

A native of Grand Rapids, MI, De Zwaan completed his piano studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as a pupil of Karen Shaw, culminating in a Doctorate in Piano Performance and Literature. De Zwaan also holds a Bachelor of Science in Recording Arts from the Jacobs School and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.