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Composer Biography

Marie is a composer, vocalist, and organist originating from North Carolina, who performs regularly in Baltimore, Washington DC, New Orleans, and New York City. Marie is best known for the variety of musical skills she possesses: working as a freelance composer of post-classical music, a freelance contemporary soprano, a freelance organist and pianist, a soul/funk singer and keyboardist in 5 DC/Baltimore area bands, a guest lecturer/composer at the University of Southern Caribbean, as well as being a music director of 2 wonderful choirs. This past year, Marie had a trio piece published by North Star Music, which will be available for purchase in early 2024; that same piece just won the International Federation of Choral Music’s composition competition. Marie’s piece was then selected to be performed at the biggest choral festival in China, the China International Choral Festival, which will take place in 2024. Marie’s most proud musical accomplishments include being a backup singer for Susan Boyle during her United States tour in 2015, soloing with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and singing under the baton of film composer, John Williams, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for a crowd of fourteen thousand audience members observing Williams’ “Film Night” concert. 

Being half Ukrainian, Marie is passionate about raising Ukrainian voices through her music. She premiered two new art songs with Ukrainian text in the past several months: one for the Source Song Festival in 2023, and another for the NYC SongSLAM competition in 2024 where she earned third place in the online competition. Marie enjoys using the voice in as many ways as possible; she demonstrated this with her 2023 all voice and electronics album called “Laugh Like Birds” which was published in the fall of 2023. Every song on this album demonstrates how the voice can be used as sound effects with a microtonal melting of vocal colors, and crisp consonants. The only electronics in the music were filters, compressors, gates, pitch shifters, and every typical thing used when mixing/mastering. All of the album was written, sung, recorded, and mixed/mastered by Marie.

  • Apple Music
  • Amazon
  • Spotify

Short Resume 

  • Composer participant at Source Song Festival's two year long residency, Minneapolis, MN, 2024-2025

  • Vocal piece has been selected to be workshopped for the China International Choral Festival, 2024

  • Soprano, Emily Tate Daniel, premieres Marie's song cycle, Poe Songs, with Bay Area Arts, San Francisco, CA, 2024

  • Composer participant at SongSLAM Minneapolis, 2024

  • Winner of International Federation of Choral Music's Composition Competition, 2023 

  • Winner of publishing opportunity with North Star Music for Duets and More anthology, 2023

  • Composer participant at SongSLAM; 3rd place in online fundraising competition, New York, NY

  • Composer participant at Source Song Festival, Minneapolis, MN, 2023

  • Composer participant at SongSLAM; 1st place in online fundraising competition, New York, NY, 2023

  • Composer participant at SongFest, San Francisco, CA, 2022

  • Commission to write choral work for Old Presbyterian Meeting House’s Spring Concert for Peace

  • International premiere of organ piece, “St Sophia’s Cathedral,” Luca Massaglia, Italy, 2023

  • United States premiere of organ piece, “St Sophia’s Cathedral,” by Douglas Buchanan, Baltimore, MD, 2023

  • Composer and performer of vocal music for Alluvium Ensemble, New Orleans, LA, 2020-present 

  • Guest lecturer/faculty at the University of Southern Caribbean, Trinidad Tobago, 2021-present 

  • Composer of organ/choir/piano/instrumental pieces for churches: Asbury UMC, Durham North Carolina (2013-1016), Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD, (2016-2020), Epiphany Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD, (2019-2022), Govans Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD, (2022-present), Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Alexandria, VA, (2023), Arnolia UMC, Parkville, MD (2023)

  • Composition teacher for “Junior Bach,” program for middle school students through Peabody Institute, Baltimore, MD, 2018-2019

  • Composition/songwriting teacher for Taylor Robinson Music, 2020-2022

  • Composition/songwriting teacher for private studio, 2020-present

  • Ear training tutor at Peabody Institute, 2018-2019

Contact

For purchasing any music, seeing full scores that aren't posted on this website, or any other requests, please send me an email! 

marie@govanspres.org

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