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Grammy-nominated clarinetist Mark Dover is a man of many horns, maintaining firm roots in classical music while ever-expanding into the vast world of improvised music. Since 2016 he has served as the clarinetist of Imani Winds, and has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta,Baltimore, and Albany Symphonies, and the American Composers Orchestra. His debut album with Imani Winds, “Bruits,” was nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Most recently, Mark was nominated as both a player and producer for Best Classical Compendium at the 2024 Grammy Awards for Imani Wind’s latest release, “Passion for Bach and Coltrane.” In 2023 Mark also joined the chamber ensemble yMusic. 2023 highlights include appearances at Carnegie Hall Presents with both Imani Winds and yMusic, NPR’s tiny desk, and an evening of original music and arrangements at La Jolla Music Society with Michael Thurber, Tessa Lark, and Louis Cato. 

Mark has performed throughout the United States and abroad, at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center, the Elbphilharmonie, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition to performing with Imani Winds, Mark is the clarinetist with Manhattan Chamber Players. He has performed with the Detroit Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra at Kent Blossom Music Festival, The Knights, Nu Deco Ensemble, and has performed at the Mostly Mozart Festival, Spoleto, Chamber Music Northwest, and many other Chamber Music series and festivals throughout the country and abroad.

Mark joined the chamber music faculty at Curtis Institute of Music in 2021. He is on the clarinet faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and Queens College, CUNY. Mark has conducted masterclasses at numerous academic institutions throughout the country, such as University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition to his work in the classical world, Mark has an extensive background in jazz and improvised music. He formed the multi-genre duo Port Mande with pianist/producer JeremyJordan in 2017. Their debut EP “Is This Loss?” was released in July of 2020. A frequent collaborator with American funk band, Vulfpeck, Mark was featured as a performer and arranger on their highly acclaimed album “Thrill of the Arts,” and in 2019, played to a sold-out Madison Square Garden. He has performed and/or recorded with musicians of many different genres, including Jason and Alicia Moran, Chris Thile, Edward Simon, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, David Binney, Bernard Purdie, Cyrille Aimée, Lawrence, Darren Criss, Theo Katzman, Joey Dosik, Charlie Rosen and his 8 Bit Big Band, ETHEL, Dave Malloy, Phillipa Soo, Kris Bowers, Michael Thurber, Tessa Lark, Louis Cato, Charles Yang, and many more.

A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Mark received his Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music and his Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan. His teachers include David Krakauer, Deborah Chodacki, and Jay DeVries. Mark is a Buffet Crampon and Vandoren Artist. He lives in New York City with his wife, soprano Faylotte Joy Crayton, and their daughter Lulu.

 

Port Mande

Port Mande is the collaborative partnership between clarinetist Mark Dover and pianist/producer Jeremy Jordan. It is a partnership based on their likeminded approach to music making, embracing many different genres of music, from classical, to jazz, gospel, hip hop, electronic, gospel and more. 

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