About
A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Marcus Moore began studying clarinet at age 15 in 2011. He earned a bachelor's degree in Music Performance, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University and has pursued master's studies in Music Composition and a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Before continuing his studies in music and peacebuilding, Marcus served as a clarinetist with the Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band. He performed in its concert wind ensemble, marching band, and Wayfaring Winds woodwind quintet. His service earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Military Outstanding Musician Award. In 2020, he was selected for the first virtual Marine Musician band, which united musicians from “The President's Own,” “The Commandant's Own,” and the ten Marine Corps fleet bands.
Marcus performs as a freelance musician throughout the United States, Africa, and Asia. His ensemble appearances include the Royal Australian Navy Band, 581st Air Force Band, 25th Infantry Division Band, U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, Georgia Wind Symphony, North Georgia Wind Symphony, Atlanta Freedom Band, Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, and Georgia Sinfonietta. His chamber-music work includes NeoPhonia Ensemble, Terminus Ensemble, Atlanta Wind Project, Atlanta Chamber Collective, Sonare Winds, and Chiaro Trio. With Chiaro, he gave artist recitals at Troy University and the University of North Georgia and placed second in the MTNA State of Georgia Chamber Music Competition. In 2015, he attended the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival on scholarship and studied and performed with the Grammy Award-winning Imani Winds. In early 2023, Wayfaring Winds toured Guam and Texas and appeared at the Texas Music Educators Association conference as the Marine Corps Music Program's premier chamber ensemble.
As a soloist, Marcus has appeared at the Stonewall Music Festival in 2015 and 2016, the University of South Carolina Honor Band Festival in 2022, and the SoundNOW Music Festival in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has performed in masterclasses for musicians of “The President's Own,” Charles Neidich, Paquito D'Rivera, Mariam Adam, Ted Gurch, Cathy Ogram, Roomful of Teeth, Christopher Nichols, and Kimberly Cole Luevano.
Marcus's compositions have been performed in Africa, Asia, and North America. He won the 2023 ZAWA! call for scores, and his flute duo Gratitude for Daydreamers toured the United States twice through ZAWA!'s outreach program. In February 2025, he served as composer-in-residence at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where his wind-band work We Bloom Once More was premiered. The Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band has also recorded and premiered his wind-band music, and he has received commissions and publications through the New Works Project and Murphy Music Press.
Marcus works throughout the international music community as an educator, innovator, and creator. His students regularly earn principal chairs in county, honor, regional, and All-State ensembles and receive full academic and music scholarships to college. In 2024, he volunteered with the Daraja Music Initiative in Tanzania, teaching musicians from young children through early-career professionals while helping restore and maintain the mpingo, or African blackwood, population. He also volunteers with the Hawaiʻi Gamelan Society and performs with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Gagaku Ensemble.
Marcus is the founder and president of the Libertalia Philharmonic, an international collective of musicians, visual artists, dancers, sound engineers, and filmmakers. He is also a founding member and lead sound engineer of the Neo International Clarinetist Exposé. His efforts to support other musicians include commissioning and premiering works by Marc Mellits, Dylan Findley, Nathan Bales, Margy Hayes, James Dinsmoor, Royal Teague, Brandon Smith, Glenn Zekser, T'Anna McIntyre, Emiliano Nieto-Montiel, and Nick Demos.
