Ken Marshall has been an integral part of the Irish music circle for over a decade. As a freelance performer Ken is greatly sought after and vastly experienced in many musical areas. He was recently featured on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Irish film ‘Poker Nights’. In recent years he has featured alongside legendary jazz musicians Bobby Watson and Jon Faddis in concert. As an orchestral instrumentalist he has performed with the Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Cork Youth Orchestra, UCC Orchestra, Irish Operatic & Repertoire Society and more. As a wind band instrumentalist he has played with the Irish Youth wind Ensemble, Trinity College of Music Contemporary Wind Orchestra, Cork School of Music Concert Band & Wind Ensemble and numerous other local and national ensembles. He has been a member of the critically acclaimed UK Saxophone Quartet ‘Intoto’ and was also a member of the innovative ensemble ‘Trinity Saxes’ while based in London.
In 2004, Ken co-established ‘Unique Music’, now a leading wedding and corporate music provider. In 2006, he produced the weekly show ‘NEASA SINGS THE HITS OF THE MUSICALS & OPERAS’ in Cork, which ran successfully for six months, leading to a second season in ’07. Ken produced and arranged the album of the show, launched by Beamish & Crawford Breweries in ’07 to great commercial success. 2009 saw the release of his latest project, a CD production of Neasa’s all-originals album, ‘Fly Away’.
“I recognised that I had found in Ken a keen listener, a very rare talent, and something i’ve never managed to find in any of the producers or arrangers i’d previously worked with. He listened intently, and created in the arrangements exactly what I was trying to express in my songs” – Neasa.
Ken has been a fixture on the Cork jazz scene for many years leading his own quartet and jazz-fusion band, and was an integral member of the hugely successful Cork School of Music Jazz Big Band where he was regularly featured as soloist. Ken has been involved in countless productions at the Cork Opera House and Everyman Palace Theatre as a session player. He has numerous TV and radio appearances to his credit including performing live in the final of the BBC/RTE talent contest ‘Go for it‘! in 1994. As a band conductor Ken lead the Mayfield Brass Band to two regional Band titles and their first National Band Title in 2001.
PERFORMANCES INCLUDE:
Tours of the Middle East under the auspices of the British Council, performing concerts and presenting workshops
Extensive concert performances throughout Ireland, UK, Europe and USA
Royal Tournament at Earls Court, London
Jazz et Juan, Jazz Festival in Juan le Pains on French Riviera
Wigan Jazz Festival, 1994
International Festival of Youth Orchestras, Valencia, Spain, 1996
British Clarinet and Saxophone Society (CASS) Congress 2003
Cork International Jazz Festival, 1992 – 2004
AWARDS INCLUDE:
The Pro Musica Trophy for outstanding wind student at the Cork School of Music, 2002
Beverley Creed scholarship for further study at Trinity College, London, 2002
Most promising conductor prize at South of Ireland band Championships, 2000
BACKGROUND: Born in Cork, Ireland, Ken holds an Honours Degree in music from the Cork School of Music, and received a scholarship to study at Trinity College of Music, London in 2002. Throughout his career, Ken has been fortunate to study with some of the world’s finest instrumentalists in both jazz and classical fields. These include Kenneth Edge (NSOI & Riverdance), Prof. Gerard McChrystal (Trinity College London), Tim Garland (Internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist/composer), Bob Berg (former Miles Davis side-man and soloist), Frank Dupenbecker (Dusseldorf Symphony) Dr. Gordon Foote (McGill University Canada), Tim Price (top US jazz educationalist), Scott Stromann (Guildhall School of Music London) and many more