Mike Marshall American composer, musician, mandolinist and multi-instrumentalist Country: USA

Biography of Mike Marshall

Mike Marshall is an American composer, musician, mandolinist, and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed and collaborated with musicians from various genres, including bluegrass, classical, jazz, and Brazilian music. In addition to the mandolin family, Mike is proficient in playing the guitar and violin.

Mike Marshall was born in 1960 and grew up in central Florida. He began exploring acoustic music in the early 1980s. He has performed and collaborated with musicians from various genres, including bluegrass, classical, jazz, and Brazilian music. In addition to the mandolin family, Mike is proficient in playing the guitar and violin.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Mike Marshall has toured with other contemporary acoustic musicians, including David Grisman, Tony Rice, Mark O'Connor, Stephane Grappelli, Barbara Higbie, Jerry Douglas, and others. Two of his compositions, 'Uncommon Ritual' with banjoist Béla Fleck and bassist Edgar Meyer, and 'Short Trip Home' with violinist Joshua Bell and mandolinist Sam Bush, have entered the 'Billboard' classical music chart (both recorded on the 'Sony Classical' label).

With his long-time partner, Darol Anger, Mike has released six albums on the 'Compass' and 'Windham Hill Records' labels. He also participated in the recording of compositions by the experimental bluegrass group 'Psychograss' with guitarist David Grier, banjoist Tony Trischka, and bassist Todd Phillips.

From 1984 to 1990, Marshall played with the group 'Montreux', which released two studio recordings, 'Sign Language' and 'Let Them Say', before disbanding. Marshall's dedication to classical music led him to become one of the founders of the Modern Mandolin Quartet, a family of mandolin instruments. The group worked with the 'Windham Hill Records' label, releasing four records, and made its debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1995.

Marshall has also worked with Chris Thile of the acoustic trio 'Nickel Creek'. Their joint CD release 'Into the Cauldron' was released in 2003 by 'Sugar Hill Records' and was included in Amazon.com's top ten records of the same year.

In addition to touring and studio work, Marshall is a partner at 'Adventure Music', a label specializing in Brazilian music. He also produces several of his own projects. Furthermore, Mike takes cooking lessons from top chefs in the San Francisco Bay Area in exchange for giving music masterclasses.

Currently, he resides in Oakland, California, with his wife, violinist and klezmer player Kaila Flexer. They have a daughter together.