A native of the Boston area, cellist Mark Bridges received the bachelor’s degree from Boston University where he studied with David Soyer and Leslie Parnas. He holds an M.M from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Steven Doane, and earned an Orchestral Studies Diploma as a section cellist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He earned the DMA degree in cello from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was a student of Uri Vardi. He is the recipient of the Daniel Gregg Myers, Dorothea Schmidt nee Boller awards and the Bernard Milofsky travel award from the University of Wisconsin.
As a chamber musician Mark has performed with members of the Borodin, Muir, and Pro Arte String Quartets, attended the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar and the Banff Centre Chamber Music Residency, performed at the Token Creek Festival and has appeared several times on the CBC and WPR for “Sunday Afternoon Live from the Chazen.” He is a core member of Madison’s highly acclaimed chamber music ensemble, The Willy Street Chamber Players.
Mark is actively engaged in music education. A former adjunct cello teacher at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, he is now faculty at UW-Stevens Point, teaches privately in Madison, and coaches chamber music at the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Mark has been a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra since 2016 and in 2018 became the assistant principal cello. He is a member of the duo “High Plains” with Vancouver-based electronic musician Scott Morgan. The duo released its debut album, Cinderland, on the Portland-based label “Kranky” in 2017 and later that year released the EP “Pilot-Hill.” He has been the recipient of artistic residencies at the Banff Centre and the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts. In addition to his musical activities Mark completed a minor in studio art from UW-Madison and has many hobbies which include photography, ballet, modern dance, cycling and spending time with his two dogs.