Mark’s early immersion in the disciplined world of classical piano - and eventual obsession with Rock, Blues, R&B, Funk, Jazz, and the timeless American Songbook - begat a kinetic quest dedicated to making music a visceral, emotional, and necessary force in collaborative storytelling. Mark is currently Arranger and Music Supervisor for Little Girl Blue, a unique musical about legendary cultural icon Nina Simone. LGB’s extended 2022 Off-Broadway run at New World Stages received multiple award nominations (Lortel, Audelco), including Best Musical Direction (Mark Fifer, Little Girl Blue).
Mark has served as Musical Director for Rent (Reg. Premiere, Hangar Theater), The Who’s Tommy, Company, Cabaret, Fame - The Musical (Macao), Side by Side by Sondheim (Riverside), Our Town All-Star 75th Anniversary (Actors Fund), Tits Fisher with Kitten’s Kiss, Hello Again, Elegies, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Grace. Period., The Family Resemblance, Iraqi Rose, All the Rage, and many more. He has appeared in concert with Darlene Love, Andrea Burns, Jerry Herman, Mary Birdsong, and many more; he has arranged for and supervised benefit concerts for Live & In Color, Stella by Starlight, Actors Fund/Equity Fights AIDS, Westport Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Winter Clothing Closet, Hole in the Wall Gang, and others.
Mark has been a Vocal Coach for hundreds of stage, film/TV and recording artists, and his pop/rock transcriptions can be found in rep and audition books from coast to coast. He has scored and orchestrated numerous projects for Comedy Central, Netflix, and more. Since 2012 he has been Vocal Director for Carnival Entertainment, and he was recently named Artistic Associate for Southern Opera Theatre Company, bringing opera, musical theatre productions and educational opportunities to the Southeast US. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting (NYC), and is a co-founder of Adler’s successful and Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI) program. Previously on faculty at Pace University’s BFA Musical Theater program and Jacksonville State University’s School of Music.
Mark holds a BA in Film from Penn State University, a Master of Music Education from Jacksonville State University, and a Certificate in Film Scoring from UCLA-Extension. He has been based in New York City since 2004.