World music & Classical music
Angkor is available on CD & Digital Download on Bandcamp.com and as Digital Download on Spotify, Google Play Music, Amazon MP3 and iTunes
Impresiones is available on CD & Digital Download on Bandcamp.com and as Digital Download on Google Play Music
Latest news
Mark is a winner of the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2012) with Tuol Sleng in the Instrumental category. The song is featured on Mark's latest album Angkor. For more information check out www.songwriting.net/winners
---
Mark is a finalist of the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition (2012) with Angkor in the World category. The song is featured on Mark's latest album Angkor
---
Mark is a finalist of the 2012 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) with Yaba. The song is featured on Mark's latest album Angkor and is competing for the top prize in the Instrumental category. Winners will be announced at the end of April. For more information check out www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners
Overview
Mark Van Overmeire is a storyteller. His musical universe is shaped by his many journeys around the world. Mark's music is an imaginative fusion of world music, classical music and folk with colorful cinematic moods.
The release of the world music CD Impresiones in November 2003 made a strong impact on the world music scene. The CD was conceived after a 4 year stay in South America. The music on "Impresiones" is, according to Henri Brun from KRTU, a mixture of world music and elegance all in one.
Beautiful and evocative, the music on "Impresiones" received worldwide radio broadcastings and introduced Mark Van Overmeire to an audience of classical music and world music aficionados in many countries.
Mark's classical music CD Angkor, released in November 2011, is inspired by places and events in Southeast Asia. All music on "Angkor" is performed by the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra. Guest musicians, such as Grammy Award winning drum legend Dave Weckl (known for his work with jazz icon Chick Corea) and avant-garde cellist Arne Deforce, participate on Angkor.
Biography
Mark was born in Sint-Amandsberg, Belgium on April 2, 1968 but grew up in Bruges. World music sparkled his imagination when he was well in his teens and he started studying music theory, classical guitar and percussion at the Municpal Conservatory of Bruges when he was 15 years old.
At the age of 17 Mark studied classical harmony at the Municpal Conservatory of Bruges. At that time he got interested in the exciting rhythms of jazz and studied jazz harmony at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent.
His fascination for the rhythms of drums, world percussion and exotic music of other cultures led Mark to make a decision that would change his life forever. He left the country with nothing more than a backpack and headed to a continent full of untold mysteries... South America.
The existential journey would have Mark in its grip for 4 years. After his return some of the stories had to be told and this led to the release of his first full CD Impresiones.
The concept of writing classical/world music inspired by travel experiences works very well for Mark. Southeast Asia was backpacked for a few months in 2004. After returning home in January 2005 Mark started composing music for a new album. Due to the ambitious scope, both artistically and financially, production of the album was put on hold many times. A budget to work with a symphony orchestra was finally secured by Mark in 2010. The CD Angkor, with works inspired by his journey in Southeast Asia, was released on CD and Digital Download in 2011.
Mark currently resides in Ghent, Belgium.