Mark Pinner began his musical career at the age of ten as a baritone and cornet player in the Bankstown Municipal and East Hills Boy’s High School bands. Initially taught by local teachers he was accepted into extension studies, on trumpet, at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Ken Smith and Lew Campbell. During high school Mark was also a member of the Secondary Schools Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Orchestra and the Sydney Youth Orchestra. Mark later studied with James Blunt at the Sydney College of Advanced Education and the University of New South Wales. In 1987 Mark was awarded his Licentiate Performer’s Diploma from Trinity College of Music London. While completing his Bachelor of Music Education degree at UNSW Mark took up the clarinet and saxophone and, eventually, the bassoon.
Mark’s performing experience is wide, encompassing jazz, rock and classical genres. As an orchestral musician Mark has performed professionally with the Elizabethan Trust/ Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Hunter Orchestra and Melbourne Philharmonic and is regular guest with a number of community orchestras including the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra and Sutherland Shire Symphony. He also has many years experience as a conductor. Mark was also principal bassoon with the City of Sydney Wind Ensemble for many years. He has many years experience in both professional and amateur musical theatre as well as cabaret and club shows, both as a player, and musical director. Mark has also played lead alto, clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones with a number of leading big bands around Sydney and he still regularly performs with small jazz groups, blues and rock bands.
At present, Mark is the Director of Music of the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services having responsibility for a concert band of sixty four. In addition to this position Mark is also concentrating on solo bassoon performance and freelance orchestral work as both a performer and conductor. In addition Mark is also a music arranger specialising in orchestral transcriptions and the arrangement of early music for band. Mark holds both the Licentiate Diploma in performance from Trinity College of Music London (LTCL) and the Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of New South Wales (B.Mus.Ed.), Master of Arts with Honours (MA [Hons]) from Macquarie University as is currently studying for his doctorate, specialising in the compositions of colonial composer William Luscombe Searelle.