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Dr. Mark Morton is Associate Professor of Double Bass at Texas Tech University. He was principal bass of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, in which he was a member for 23 years. First-prize winner of the 1990 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition in New York, Morton has soloed in Europe, South and Central America, Canada, Taiwan, and the U.S. He has been a featured double bass soloist on radio broadcasts including NPR's "Performance Today.” Earning his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from the Juilliard School in New York, Dr. Morton is only the second bassist to earn the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the history of Juilliard. His critically acclaimed Thresholds and Russian Rendezvous CDs, have become reference recordings of standard double bass repertoire. He also shares a CD with bassist Gary Karr of double bass music by Paul Ramsier. Classical CD Reviews proclaimed him as “a most artistic representative of the new generation developed in the last half century.”

Additionally, Mark Morton is an accomplished pianist. His release on Albany Records, Bottesini Greatest Hits features Morton accompanying himself on piano, for which American Record Review says, “Mark Morton is a fine player on both instruments, and the music is lovely…” Though he has spent most of his career living in Ohio and New York City, Dr. Morton is originally from Texas and is 4-year Texas All-Stater – 2 years a second chair Symphony Orchestra, and two years as first chair Symphony Orchestra. The DrMarkMorton YouTube Channel contains over 100 videos of his performances of orchestral excerpts, etudes, and solos – even a number of Beatles - and is a go-to reference for TMEA All-State audition demonstrations, garnering over 4500 subscribers and over 830,000 views.