Mark Sforzini moved to Tampa in 1992 when he won the position of Principal Bassoon with the Florida Orchestra. While performing the past 14 seasons with the Florida Orchestra, Mr. Sforzini has done extensive work in the Tampa Bay Area as an educator, composer and conductor. In addition to maintaining a private teaching studio, Sforzini has been the Music Director/Senior Orchestra Conductor of the Pinellas Youth Symphony, has taught at several summer music institutes, including Sewanee Summer Music Center, Kinhaven Music School (Vermont), and Bay Area Music, and is a composer mentor for Hillsborough County Schools.
As a composer, Sforzini has been commissioned by several organizations including the Florida Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Hillsborough Arts Council, City of Tampa Water Department, Bay Area Sax Quartet, FloriMezzo and the Palladium Theater, as well as numerous individuals. His compositions have been played by orchestras and chamber musicians around the country, and on the Florida Orchestra's Masterworks, Coffee, Blue Jeans Classics, and Youth Concert Series. Sforzini was the Composer-in-Residence at the Crested Butte Music Festival in 2003, where he continues to play Principal Bassoon each summer.
Since 2003, Mr. Sforzini has been Artistic Director of FloriMezzo. In addition to directing FloriMezzo's Chamber Concerts, Mr. Sforzini also conducted the FloriMezzo Orchestra in two sold-out performances of Madame Butterfly in June 2005 at the Palladium Theater. He will return to the Palladium with the FloriMezzo Orchestra in June 2006 as Artistic Director and Project Director for the Barber of Seville. He recently chaired the organizing committee for the first ever St. Petersburg Chamber Music Festival and enjoyed the premiere of his Sextet for Winds and Bass at the Studio @620 as part of the festival.
Mark graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University in 1991. His bassoon teachers have included John Hunt, David McGill, William Winstead and Laurence Morgan. He is a frequent concerto soloist with the Florida Orchestra and has also soloed with the Tampa Bay Symphony, Auburn Community Orchestra, FloriMezzo Orchestra and the Crested Butted Festival Orchestra. Sforzini also performs chamber music frequently with the Quantum Winds and the Florida Orchestra Chamber Players. Prior to joining the Florida Orchestra, Sforzini was Principal Bassoon of the Florida West Coast Symphony for two seasons. He is a native of Auburn, Alabama where he began his musical studies on the saxophone and piano.
