10/04/2026
Meet our new Composer-in-Residence, Mark Maarder!
Mark is an American composer, poet, and former U.S. Army officer whose life has taken him from the former Soviet Union to Europe, the United States, and places around the world.
He began studying music at the age of six, spending the next ten years studying piano, violin, and music theory with Vladimir Mevius. As a teenager, he moved to the United States and continued his musical studies before embarking on a remarkable career in the U.S. Army, serving in Special Operations, Airborne Infantry, Military Intelligence, and the Foreign Area Officer Corps. His military service included assignments in numerous countries and earned him, among other distinctions, the Bronze Star, Ranger Tab, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
After retiring from the Army as a Major, Mark returned to his first love: music. In recent years, he has collaborated with musicians from around the world, with his compositions performed and recorded across Europe and the United States and his videos reaching millions of views online.
We’re excited to have Mark join the Union Square Soirée family and can’t wait to hear what he creates for our musicians. Welcome, Mark!
Mark Maarder
