What is your hometown?
Virginia Beach, Virginia
How long have you been with the BPO?
Since 1998
What is your favorite part of being a member of the BPO?
Being able to perform with other great players.
What is your favorite piece of music?
Some of my favorites include Respighi, Roman Festivals and Ravel, Daphnis et Chloe
What other orchestras have you performed with?
Cleveland Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, Louisville Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Mansfield Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Canton Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony
What types of music do you like to listen to?
Rock...Dream Theater, Rush, etc... and Jazz
Do you play any other instruments?
I played piano for 15 years.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spend time with my wife, Jamie, Golf, and kick it old school on my drum kit.
What is your favorite movie?
Cape Fear (DeNiro), The Machinist, Momento
What is your favorite TV show?
Right now ... Damages
What is your favorite restaurant?
Neighborhood
What do you like best about Buffalo?
The people, the summer weather, and the culture.
Biography
Mark Hodges has held the position of principal percussionist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra since 1998. During this time he has been a featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic and has performed for the National Public Radio shows, Performance Today, SymphonyCast, and From the Top, as well as other NPR international broadcasts. He has also performed on the last seventeen CDs made by the Buffalo Philharmonic.
Mark has performed and recorded with the Cleveland Orchestra including several Deutsche Grammophon CDs under the direction of Pierre Boulez, and toured with many orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and the Soviet Union.
Prior to Mark's engagement with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, he held the position of principal percussionist of the West Virginia Symphony, principal percussionist of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and percussionist of the Erie Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Other orchestral appearances include the Cleveland Orchestra, Louisville Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Canton Symphony, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
Mark is the founder of Druminar™, a drum circle team building/ leadership program designed to teach both business managers and employees the value of highly functioning teams, resulting in increased levels of employee/team engagement and business performance. Musical and percussive concepts, and interactive exercises help participants identify and replicate experiences of highly engaged teams in their workplace.
Mark has served as the chair of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's players committee, and has been a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic board of Trustees, orchestra artistic committee, negotiating committee, and education committee.
As an artist for Zildjian Cymbals, Mark has been a guest percussionist of the Percussive Arts Society international convention and percussion clinician for the Western New York Day of Percussion. Mark received his Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance form the Cleveland Institute of Music and his B.M. in Percussion Performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
