"Phenomenal tubist Marcus Rojas" (Whitney Balliet, The New Yorker) is a native of New York City. Considered one of "the best all around tuba players in the world" (Harvey Pekar,Jazziz); among the diverse groups in which he has played are the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, American Symphony, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York Pops, EOS, Radio City Music Hall, Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, ensembles led by Gil Evans, George Russell, Jim Hall, Lionel Hampton, Dave Douglas, Wayne Shorter, David Byrne, and P.D.Q. Bach. He has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Today Show, Saturday Night Live and The Grammys from New York City.
Marcus has played on over three hundred and fifty recordings, from CDs of his own groups (Spanish Fly and Les Miserables Brass Band) to Reggae stars Sly and Robbie and the Metropolitan Opera. He has performed and/or recorded with such diverse artists as Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Dawn Upshaw, Queen Latifah, Donnie Osmond, Sting, Dr. John, Harry Connick Jr., Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, They Might be Giants, Arto Linsday and Rosie O'Donell among others. He has recorded for every major film, television and record company in the United States as well as countless commercial jingles and over 60 film scores including Wolf, Interview with the Vampire, Mission to Mars, Muppet Christmas Carol, Ed Wood, You've Got Mail, The Spanish Prisoner, Fargo, Snake Eyes, Primary Colors,101 Dalmations, Shaft, S.W.A.T., American Splendor, Everything is Illuminated, Sleepless in Seattle, Sin Nombre and Across the Universe. He can be heard daily on Nick Jr's. Oswald and the Backyardigans.
Collaborations
Marcus is an avid proponent of contemporary classical, improvised and chamber musics. He performs solo and as a soloist with orchestras and ensembles throughout the world. As a founding member of SingleTree, a trio of flute, tuba and marimba,Brass Bang, Spanish Fly with Steven Bernstein and David Tronzo and other groups he has written and commissioned many new works. He was a member of Henry Threadgill's Very Very Circus and is currently a member of Dave Douglas' Brass Ecstasy and Nomad, Michael Blake's Hellbent and Musette Explosion. He has performed the premieres of composers LaMonte Young, Peter Zummo, Gunther Schuller, Ralph Shapey, Philip Johnston, Anne LeBaron, Tom McKinley, Daniel Pinkham, Benedict Mason, Peter Schickele and John Zorn. New music groups he performs with include Contuum, the SEM Ensemble, ICE, American Composers Orchestra and the Kamakazi Ground Crew. He has performed in every jazz and major concert venue in NY and almost every jazz festival in the US, Canada and Europe with many artists including Donny McCaslin, Tony Malaby, Wadada Leo Smith, Doug Weiselman, Peter Apfelbaum and others. He toured the US, Japan and Australia with Robert Wilson's the Knee Plays.
Broadway
Broadway credits include The Flying Karamotzov Brothers Do the Impossible, State Fair, Candide,South Pacific,Ragtime and Spiderman-Turn Off the Dark.
Teaching
Dedicated to giving back so much of what was given to him, Marcus performs over 30 children's concerts and workshops yearly. He has given master classes throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe on topics ranging from Imagination; Creating Your own Musical World, to Why do We Play? and Breathing; How Much is Enough.
He is on the faculty of New York University, Brooklyn College and the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Marcus is a graduate of New York City's famed High School of Music and Art and has a B.M. with distinction from New England Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Bill Stanley, Sam Pilafian, Steve Johns, Toby Hanks and John Swallow.
Phone Number: 917 842-2154
email address: marcusrojas1@mac.com
