Mary Gardner is a
Connecticut-based percussionist, teacher, and conductor that specializes in
world music, marimba, and orchestral percussion. Mary received her
Bachelor’s degree in music education and performance from Ithaca College, where
she studied percussion with Gordon Stout and Conrad Alexander. In 2010,
she completed her Master’s degree in percussion performance under the direction
of Grammy award winner Haruka Fujii at the University of Connecticut. Mary has
also studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School in London,
and the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Mary is the Director of
Percussion Studies at Westport Public Schools, and also teaches beginning band
at Long Lots and Greens Farms Elementary Schools. In 2013, Mary founded
the Westport Percussion Ensemble for middle school students to share her passion
for percussion literature, and it has grown to incorporate students from both
local middle schools, as well as wind and string players who are interested in
percussion. This ensemble was selected as one of the Honor’s Performing
Ensembles for the Connecticut Music Educator’s Association in 2017, and
performs annually at the Connecticut Day of Percussion.
As a performer, Mary has received acclaim for
her fluency in a wide variety of styles on several different instruments. She
has performed with singer/songwriters, new music groups, and several orchestras
throughout the area including New Haven Symphony and the Hartford Pops. Mary
has appeared on stage at such notable venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s
Alice Tully Hall, the Goodspeed Opera House, and NYU’s Skirball Center for the
Arts. Her passion for diverse genres of music has put her on stage with the
West Point Brass and Emmy Award winners Lillias White and Sarah Jessica Parker.
In addition to her career
as a teacher and performing artist, Mary is the percussion coach for the
Norwalk Youth Symphony, and conducts the Norwalk Youth Symphony Philharmonia
Winds. She is a faculty member at the Connecticut Academy of Irish Music,
and is the Education Development Coordinator for Swan Percussion. Mary currently
serves as Treasurer of the Connecticut Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society
and gives workshops throughout the state.