Mark Henry

Senior Music Performance Faculty in Double Bass and Electric Bass

Performer with jazz groups, classical and theatre orchestras; instructor of beginners to advanced in doublebass and electric bass.

Unique among bassists, Mark Henry is a busy freelancer in both the jazz and classical worlds. As a player with the Boston Pops and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestras, his performances in both the bass section and rhythm section have led to numerous Pops tours across the United States, Carnegie Hall, Paris, Japan and Korea and several CD recordings such as “Holiday Pops”, “Sleigh Ride” and “Encore!”. Other orchestra performances include the Boston Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Pro Arte Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera, Portland Symphony, Vista Philharmonic and Lowell Chamber Orchestra as well as his own doublebass recitals.
His jazz sideman credits include performances with Byron Stripling, Denzal Sinclaire, Mel Tormé, Cab Calloway, Art Farmer, Maureen McGovern, Scott Hamilton, Diane Schuur, Rosemary Clooney and Illinois Jacquet. As a member of The Jazz Pops Ensemble, the quartet has appeared as a featured guest with orchestras around the country, including the Boston Pops.
In the orchestra pit, Mark has played numerous musicals and stage acts such as, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Porgy & Bess, Les Miserables, The Wiz, West Side Story, Evita, Beauty and the Beast, Charlotte Church and Bjork.
As an instructor, he was a guest clinician at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival for fourteen years and instructor at the University of Massachusetts. He continues to instruct bass at Wellesley College.
He received his Bachelor’s in Music from Berklee College of Music and his Master’s in Music from the University of Massachusetts. Additional extensive bass studies have been with Boston Symphony bassists Edwin Barker, Lawrence Wolfe and improvisation with jazz mentor Charlie Banacos.

Education

  • B.M., Berklee College of Music
  • M.M., University of Massachusetts (Lowell)