Mark Christopher Lutz (born 1961) received his first music lessons at the age of four. He made his solo debut at the age of 12.

After receiving his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University in Chicago, he earned his master class diploma as a scholarship recipient of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Mark Lutz has repeatedly received awards at numerous national and international competitions, including

• at the 34th International Music Competition of the ARD (1985),
• at the competition of the Musikalische Akademie Würzburg (1st prize) and
• at the ABC "Young Performers Competition" - Australia, 1990 (1st prize).

He was principal percussionist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (ABC Radio Orchestra, Australia) from 1989 to 1993 and head of the percussion department at Queensland University. During this time, Lutz was featured soloist in five different percussion concerts with orchestra and played several solo recitals.

Since 1993, Mark Lutz has worked as a professor of percussion and timpani at the HfM Würzburg, where he also directs the percussion studio.

In addition to his busy concert and teaching activities in Germany and abroad, Mark Lutz has also devoted himself to numerous radio and CD recordings in Europe, Canada, America, Asia and Australia.

Professor Lutz has composed solo works and theater music for "The Bacchae" by Dionysus, "Antigone" by Sophocles, and has performed on film scores such as "The Lottery Rose." Lutz has also composed and improvised percussion music in conjunction with dance, as well as percussion improvisation for lectures.

Latest CD

"Percussion Around the World Vol. 1" conducted by Prof. Lutz is now available at the Hochschule für Musik-Würzburg.

Frankfurter General Newspaper

... here Markus Christopher Lutz captivated the audience for minutes on end. The sound fantasy, the poetry, the intimacy of his rendition took the breath away of everyone in the hall....

Munich Merkur

... The audience's favorite of the evening was Markus Christopher Lutz... (he) elicited a wealth of nuances from the vibraphone, from the ghostly sound of the glass harmonica to the hard tone of a stone chime. That had format.

The World

...above all Markus Christopher Lutz put the audience into raptures.

Chicago Tribune

...Mark Lutz provides an original, throbbing musical undercurrent that, like the Bacchae, insinuates itself into the audience's subconscious....

Many of his students are prizewinners at international competitions, as well as successful members of renowned orchestras, some in leading positions.