Todd Marcus Quintet featuring Virginia MacDonald

Todd Marcus Quintet featuring Virginia MacDonald

Since 2022, Baltimore bass clarinetist Todd Marcus and Toronto clarinetist Virginia MacDonald have been performing and touring together across the United States and Canada with their quintet. Their work together presents a lush ensemble that showcases the range of beauty and power by the clarinet in a modern jazz context, with repertoire comprised of original compositions by both bandleaders. They have performed at jazz festivals and prominent venues internationally and will release their debut album as co-leaders in 2025.

Playing the clarinet is hard but listening to it in jazz is amazing! Due to technical challenges and volume issues, most musicians that utilize both bass and Bb clarinets tend to also double on saxophone and avoid using clarinets for more intense straight-ahead jazz. While the clarinet has a rich history in traditional New Orleans and Dixieland music, swing era big band contexts, and avant-garde free playing, it is significantly underutilized in modern straight-ahead jazz.

Marcus and MacDonald have both established a prominence and international reputation on their respective instruments in the modern jazz realm with their unique solo and compositional voices. Their musical partnership showcases the versatility of the bass clarinet and clarinet, and captures audiences with a new and unique musical experience.

Bios

Todd Marcus is one of the few artists worldwide to focus on the bass clarinet as a main instrument in modern jazz with his small and large ensembles. His straight-ahead playing and compositions swing with fiery intensity balanced with delicate introspection. Self-taught in jazz, his music offers a strong melodic sensibility, draws from elements of his community work, and often incorporates the Middle Eastern influences of his Egyptian-American heritage.

Based in Baltimore, Marcus leads ensembles from 2-10 musicians featuring his original compositions and jazz standards and The New York Times writes, “Mr. Marcus is probably the most inventive bass clarinetist working in straight-ahead jazz today…[and] lives in Baltimore, where he is a guiding light on the city’s jazz scene who doubles as an activist and organizer.”

Marcus has worked with other jazz artists such as Gary Bartz, Bennie Maupin, Don Byron, Ralph Peterson, Warren Wolf, Sean Jones, and Orrin Evans. His performances include national and international touring including the 2023 International Clarinet Association Summit, 2017 Jazz Tales Festival in Egypt, 2015 Cairo Jazz Festival in Egypt, and in 2005 at the 1st World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Holland.

Todd is an endorsed artist for Syos mouthpieces, Legere Reeds, and RZ Clarinets

Learn more at: toddmarcusjazz.com

Virginia MacDonald

Juno Award-nominated clarinetist Virginia MacDonald has established herself as a rising star of her generation with for her lyrical and soulful clarinet playing. As a highly in-demand bandleader, sidewoman, and composer, Virginia regularly performs across Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Virginia has performed at jazz festivals globally including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Jaipur Jazz & Blues Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and Montreal Jazz Festival plus prestigious international venues including Koerner Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, Birdland, Smalls, Le Duc Des Lombards and the International Clarinet Association’s 50th anniversary ClarinetFest.

In 2020, Virginia was selected as the first-prize winner of the International Clarinetist Corona Competition and has recorded and performed with esteemed artists including Michael Dease, Ira Coleman, Harold Mabern, Geoffrey Keezer, Rodney Whitaker, Xavier Davis, Quincy Davis, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bill Cunliffe, Randy Napoleon, Derrick Gardner, Kirk MacDonald, Pat Labarbera, Neil Swainson, and Terry Clarke.

Virginia is also an in-demand educator and has led classes and masterclasses at Laval University, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, University of Manitoba, St. FX University, University of Toronto, VSO School of Music, the Global Music Institute, and the True School of Music.

Virginia is an endorsed artist for Buffet Crampon, Rovner Products and D’Addario Woodwinds

Learn more at: virginiamacdonald.ca

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