Mark is pleased to announce both his debut recording of the well-loved duet “Au fond du temple Saint” from The Pearl Fishers with tenor Emilio Fina which was released in June 2013 under the Sony Music label and his Grand Prize win for the 2013 National Federation of Music Clubs Male Division Voice. His performance in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni with Opera Kitchener under the baton of William Shookhoff was greeted with critical acclaim. "Mark Gardner (Don Giovanni) had the menacing dark good looks to be effective in the title role; his full throated baritone and his acting left no one in doubt that he was a rake." Dawn Martins, Opera Canada. Recently he participated in the Stratford Symphonies Galla Grand Ballrooms and Opera Houses, was “Father” in the Symphony on the Bay’s Hansel and Gretel, and was the Baritone soloist for the Stratford Concert Choirs Messiah. This spring Mark is excited to be performing recitals around the United States for the National Federation of Music Clubs.

 

Mark’s operatic roles include Father in Humperdink's Hansël and GretelLe Chevalier des Grieux in Massenet's Le Portrait de Manon (Opera Maskoka), Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohéme (Opera York), Giorgio Germont in La Traviata (Centre for Opera Studies in Italy), Belcore in L’Elixir d’Amore (Centre for Opera Studies in Italy), Sharpless in Madama Butterfly (Opera Kitchener), Keith/Earl/Father in Lee Hoiby’s This is the RillSpeakin’ (Peabody Opera), Marco in Gianni Schicchi (Peabody Opera), Sid in Albert Herring (Peabody Opera), Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief (Bowlby Productions), Dimitri Petrovski in The Music Shop (Arts Opera) and Pish-Tush in The Mikado (Annapolis Opera). 

 

Mark is equally at home on the concert stage, having sung various recitals and concerts throughout North America and Italy. As a member of the recital trio The Poet Sings (with pianist Sandra Mogensen and soprano Catherine Gardner), Mark performed at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, at Aeolian Hall in London, and at various church venues and concert series in Stratford, Ontario, Sarnia, Ontario and Grosse Pointe, Michigan.  Other concert work includes performing arias and duets for the Stratford Symphony Orchestra's Five Star Gala, soloist for PAL benefit concert A Place to Sing with baritones James Westman and Phillip Addis, and tenor Roger Honeywell, as well as the baritone soloist and reader at the Stratford reading of A Christmas Carol. Canadian premieres of new works include A Stronger Thought of Love  with Orpheus Productions and Mark Richard's Hamlet as part of the Stratford Summer Music Festival. 

 

Mark has been the recipient of many awards and honors, most recently as the Grand Prize winner for the National Federation of Music Clubs male voice division.  He was a finalist in the Nicholas Loren International Vocal Competition, placed Second in the Andrews University International Voice Competition and the Richardson Vocal Competition, and was awarded a Peabody Career Grant, a Peabody Talent Scholarship and the David Adamany Scholarship.  Mark completed his Masters of Music from the Peabody Conservatory at the Johns Hopkins University. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Voice Performance and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the Wayne State University.