Mark Fromm

Mark Stanley Fromm (b.1982) is a composer and musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His works have won numerous awards and have been performed worldwide, including Nashville, New York City, Ottawa, London, Santiago, Doha, and Bangkok. His music has been praised for its natural shape, structure, and lyricism. He has been lucky to be able to give back to the Pittsburgh community by fulfilling commissions specific to the area. In 2008 he was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society to write a piece commemorating the 250th anniversary of the city's founding, resulting in Steel, Slag, and Silicon for saxophone quartet. In 2012 he received a commission celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University, and the resulting piece Sky Bow will be performed and recorded in 2013. Also in 2012 he completed a commission from the Trillium Ensemble to write a new trio, resulting in the piece Silent Spring which honors the 50th anniversary of Pittsburgh-native Rachel Carson's landmark environmental book of the same name.

As a performer he plays bassoon, baritone saxophone, and occasionally other instruments. He is an active composer and performer member of Alia Musica Pittsburgh, a group dedicated to the performance of new music by local composers. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon (BFA), McGill University (MMus), and The University of Pittsburgh (PhD).

News

I'm very excited for the upcoming premiere of Silent Spring by The Trillium Ensemble! This piece was inspired by (Pittsburgh native) Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring which questioned the heavy and indiscriminate use of insecticides and herbicides in favor of less deadly and more effective solutions to combating pests. These poisons tended to accumulate and concentrate as they worked their way through the food chain and took a heavy toll on bird populations; DDT is largely blamed for the declining numbers of bald eagles. The title of the book alludes to a scenario in which, after mankind has reached a tipping point in insecticide use, the following spring is not accompanied by birdsong as usual. The title was also inspired by a few lines in the John Keats poem La belle dame sans merci: "The sedge is withered from the lake/and no birds sing." In my piece, the pianist sings only these lines from the poem; other lines from the poem are whispered by the players to evoke a pastoral scene. The pianist sings a soaring melody meant to evoke birdsong. When this music recurs towards the end of the piece, the melody is notably absent. Please join us for a wonderful concert!

Upcoming Performances

Sat, June 8, 2013 7:30 PM: Silent Spring, Trillium Ensemble
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA