Mark was born in Wollongong, NSW Australia. He studied piano, organ, singing, and was national champion in the Yamaha Electone Festival in 1979 – the same year he matriculated from Corrimal High School (where he was boy vice captain). He graduated with honours in civil engineering from Wollongong University in 1983.
The following is an excerpt from “Keyboard World” volume 8 number 6 from 1979, after Mark’s win at the Australian Finals of the Yamaha Keyboard Festival at the Seymour Centre in Sydney, and prior to his trip to Japan where he represented Australia in the International Grand prix and was ranked in the Top Ten in the World that year.
In 1983 Mark graduated with an Hons Degree in Engineering (Civil) through the University of Wollongong and practiced as a Construction Engineer around New South Wales for 6 years before embarking on music as his career full-time. He gained his Diploma in Music through the Yamaha Music Foundation in 1988.
Mark has been teaching piano and organ since 1980 and has taught 3 National Champions on Electronic Organ in 1985, 1995 and accompanied a student in 1996 to Kuala Lumpur for Asia Oceania Finals.
He currently teaches at Wollongong TAFE in the Civil Engineering faculty and also teaches Piano in his private studio. Inaddition to being a singer and composer he is an ABC radio presenter in the Illawarra where he can be heard regularly on Saturday breakfasts on 97.3 ABC Illawarra.
His works include, Organ Solos, Piano solos, both Blues and light – contemporary and Vocal and Piano works. Marks most recent Albums Music for the Heart and Soul Opus 1, 2 and Opus 3 are available at purchase on line. 10% of the proceeds from the sales of the Music for the Heart and Soul CDs goes to ‘Redkite’ ‘Supporting Children Through Cancer’.
In addition to the B.Eng Civil Hons, he also holds an A.Mus.Ed and A.Comp. Hons with the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition (ASMC).
He is also a listed composer with Australian Composers whose publications arm ‘Publications by Wirripang’ produced the Piano Score for Music for the Heart and Soul Opus 1.