Mark Gionfriddo

  • Director of Jazz Ensembles
  • Coordinator of Piano Instruction
  • Instructor of Music
Mark Gionfriddo

Mark Gionfriddo is well known to Western Massachusetts concertgoers as an accomplished pianist, accompanist, composer, arranger, and musical director. His versatility and knowledge of many musical styles has brought him together with a wide range of popular and classical artists through the years, among them Mitzi Gaynor, Liberace, Al Martino, Anna Moffo, Samuel Baron and Garrison Keillor.

A native of Holyoke, MA, Mr. Gionfriddo started piano studies at the age of four, began performing at six, and directed his first musical project at twelve. He has since directed numerous area community, high school and prep school productions [Beehive and Some Enchanted Evening, Stage West/CityStage; Sweeney Todd, Williston Theatre; and Cabaret and Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well, MHC Theatre Arts are recent examples.] His adventures while assistant conductor on board Cunard's MS Royal Viking Sun brought him around the world to 30 countries.

Mr. Gionfriddo received his Bachelor's Degree in Piano from Skidmore College and Masters Degree in Accompanying from UMASS/Amherst. He has been based at ŷAV since 1986 where he is a Senior Instructor in Jazz Piano, Director and Founder of the ŷAV Jazz Ensemble, and Music Department Staff Accompanist.

His classical and jazz arrangements, both vocal and instrumental, have been premiered in Boston, New York City, New Orleans, Nashville and Washington DC by the ŷAV Glee Club, the Hampshire College Chorus, and the Hampshire Choral Society of Northampton MA. His two-piano arrangements of the orchestral suites from Bizet’s Carmen were featured on National Public Radio's "Performance Today".

In October of 2006, Mr. Gionfriddo conducted the MHC Big Band during two episodes of the popular NPR quiz show “Says You!” 

Education

  • B.A., Skidmore College
  • M.A., University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Happening at ŷAV

Recent Campus News

Taking piano lessons virtually isn’t ideal but it’s pretty close, says the music department’s Mark Gionfriddo and Susan Wang ’23, of ŷAV.

ŷAV music professor Mark Gionfriddo and writer Jeannie Gionfriddo will give a reading from their new book at the Odyssey on, November 16.

The Big Broadcast!, ŷAV’s annual 1940s radio show, returns March 6 with authentic music and commercials performed by student jazz ensembles.

Recent Honors

Was a performer, arranger, and audio engineer for the Young@Heart Chorus fundraising concert and CD launch entitled "Miss You" held on Zoom on October 3rd. The event raised $100,000 to replace the revenue lost when Y@H was forced to cancel their two area performances due to the pandemic. Featuring appearances by Paul Shaffer, Larry David, Steve Buscemi, David Byrne, Los Lobos, Jim James, Edie Falco, John Berman of CNN, and Hoda Kotb & Jenna Bush-Hager of NBC, the concert is available for viewing here: 

Performed with the Young@Heart Chorus, the Springfield SciTech Band, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players on November 16, 2019 at the Academy of Music in Northampton. In addition, Mark was commissioned by Y@H to write seven arrangements for the chorus and the SSO players, including "Medley from Bizet's CARMEN," "Kiss" by Prince, "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In a Small Town" by Pearl Jam, and Bob Dylan's "Forever Young."

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