“Disastrous Eyesight” has a Silver Lining for Clarinet Player, Mark Walton

Mark Walton has been described as a “virtuoso clarinet and saxophone performer, inspiring teacher and charismatic musician”. He is another of the top drawer musicians who will be performing during the Martinborough Music Festival in September.

Looking through the credits for Mark’s long and successful career, his name does not feature as having belonged to an orchestra  “I was born with disastrous eyesight”. Instead of sending him to a school for the blind, Mark’s parents sent him to mainstream schools “I struggled trying to see the teacher let alone the blackboard. While Mark did play in orchestras early in his career he soon realised that this was not going to be a long term option for him – he couldn’t see the conductor clearly.

Mark Walton’s family was not musical “when I was 11, I wanted to play the trumpet. I didn’t know what a clarinet was. Some friends from England visited and bought me a second-hand clarinet because it was cheaper than a new trumpet. I am forever grateful to them”. He has concentrated on performing as a soloist and with chamber music ensembles, made CDs and countless recordings that can be found on You Tube. Mark attributes his big international following in this medium to having “recorded a lot of works that no-one else has”.

Born in Christchurch, Mark studied clarinet at the Christchurch School of Music and in New York. However, it was in Australia that he gained his reputation as a gifted teacher. He established a ground breaking instrumental music teaching system using video conferencing for young musicians in remote areas of Australia. In 2012 he taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music Winter Academy in Kabul. For several years Mark chaired the Sydney Conservatorium of Music until he was appointed Chair of Performance, Outreach and Communications, a post he held for nearly 20 years. In the mix is writing, compiling and editing for several publishers, some 200 publications many of which have become standard woodwind teaching repertoire. He was awarded the Order of Australia medal in 2005.

Mark has shared his time between Australia and New Zealand but has now decided make Australia his base “it is a country with enormous possibilities and a fresh approach to music and to education”. 

Mark loves teaching clarinet “my workshops are always chockers”. A mission of Mark’s is to “get everyone in the world playing a musical instrument as I know it makes life so enjoyable. He loves seeing the young “immerse themselves in music”. Mark Walton wants to share his teaching expertise with young musicians while he is here. Wairarapa and Kuranui College Music Departments are keen to accept his offer. For further information on this opportunity to learn from a master, contact Ed Allen on 021 687 7420. 

Of Martinborough Music Festival Mark says “the other performers are wonderful musicians and the repertoire is heavenly”. www.martinboroughmusicfestival.co.nz   Winifred Bull