Marcus Rojas

“Phenomenal tubist Marcus Rojas” (Whitney Balliet, The New Yorker) is a native of New York City. Considered one of “the best all around tuba players in the world” (Harvey Pekar, Jazziz); among the diverse groups in which he has played at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, American Symphony, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York Pops, EOS, Radio City Music Hall, Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, ensembles led by Gil Evans, George Russell, Jim Hall, Lionel Hampton, Dave Douglas, Wayne Shorter, David Byrne and P.D.Q. Bach. He has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Today Show, Saturday Night Live and The Grammys from New York City.

Marcus has played on over 450 recordings, from CDs of his own groups Spanish Fly and Les Miserables Brass Band to Reggae stars Sly and Robbie and the Metropolitan Opera. He has performed and/or recorded with Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Yo Yo Ma, Stevie Wonder, Dawn Upshaw, Queen Latifah, Edie Brickell, Donnie Osmond, Dr. John, Harry Connick Jr., Luciano Pavarotti, Aretha Franklin, They Might be Giants, John Lithgow, Rosie O’Donnell, Barbara Cook, Andrea Bocelli, Bette Midler and Sting among others. He has recorded for every major film, television and record company in the United States as well as countless commercial jingles and over 60 film scores including Wolf, Interview with the Vampire, Mission to Mars, Muppet Christmas Carol, Ed Wood, You’ve Got Mail, The Spanish Prisoner, Fargo, Snake Eyes, Primary Colors, 101 Dalmations, Shaft, S.W.A.T. American Splendor, Everything is Illuminated, Sin Nombre, Across the Universe and Sleepless in Seattle. He can be heard regularly on Peg + Cat, Nick Jr.’s Oswald and the Backyardigans.

Recent artists he has recorded and worked with are: Louden Wainright III, Sean Lenon, Clare and the Reasons, Jesse Harris, Richard Julian, Gabriel Kahane and Antony and the Johnsons. He is currently in Paul Simon’s touring band, having recently completed Paul Simon & Sting’s tour of Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Collaborations
An avid proponent of contemporary classical and improvised music, he performs solo concerts of his own music and concerti written for him. Most recently performing Benedict Mason’s concerto for tuba and bass for the first season of Miller Theater’s Pocket Concerto series. He is a founding member of SingleTree, a trio of flute, tuba and marimba which has commissioned over thirty new works and was a member of Henry Threadgill’s Very Very Circus. He is currently a member of Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy and Nomad, Michael Blake’s Hellbent, Musette Explosion, and Brass Bang with Paolo Fresu. He has performed the premieres of composers LaMonte Young, Peter Zummo, Gunther Schuller, Ralph Shapey, Philip Johnston, Anne LeBaron, Tom McKinley, Daniel Pinkham, Peter Schickele and John Zorn, whose trio, Cerberus for tuba, trombone and trumpet was recorded and premiered to great critical praise last year. New music groups he performs with include Continuum, the SEM Ensemble, ICE and the Kamakazi Ground Crew. He toured the US, Japan and Australia with Robert Wilson’s the Knee Plays.

Broadway
Broadway credits include The Flying Karamotzov Brothers Do the Impossible, State Fair, Candide, South Pacific, Ragtime and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Teaching
Dedicated to giving back so much of what was given to him, Marcus performs over 30 children’s concerts and workshops yearly. He has given master classes throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe on topics ranging from Imagination: Creating Your Own Musical World, to Why Do We Play? and Breathing: How Much is Enough.

He is on faculty of New York University and CUNY, Brooklyn College. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Marcus is a graduate of New York City’s famed High School of Music and Arts and has a B.M. with distinction from New England Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Bill Stanley, Sam Pilafian, Steve Johns, Toby Hank, John Swallow and all of the amazing musicians he’s had the privilege to play with.