Mark Rapp

Mark Rapp Jazz trumpet

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MARK

RAPP

About

Mark Rapp is a nationally recognized jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and arts advocate. His work bridges performance, education, and cultural entrepreneurship. As founder and Executive Director of the ColaJazz Foundation, Rapp has shaped one of the Southeast’s most vibrant jazz ecosystems—presenting major festivals, statewide education outreach, recording projects, and artist-driven programs. His playing, described as lyrical and modern, is rooted in the jazz tradition while pushing creative boundaries. With a global performance resume and deep commitment to community impact, Rapp exemplifies the power of jazz to educate, inspire, and transform.

EDUCATION
M.M., Jazz Studies – University of New Orleans, 1997 (Studied with Ellis Marsalis)
B.M., Performance – Winthrop University, 1995

Professional Development / Mentors
Lew Soloff, Laurie Frink, Wycliffe Gordon, Stephen Jeandheur (Principal Trumpet, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande), Walter Blanding, Jr. (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Marcus Printup (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Ryan Kisor (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Clyde Kerr, Jr (Nicholas Payton and Terence Blanchard), Vincent Penzarella (NY Philharmonic)

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Jazz Hero, Jazz Journalists Association (2025) – FreeTimes Best of Awards: Best Local Solo Artist (2022, 2023, 2024), Best Local Jazz or Blues Artist (2024)
  • Top 50 Business Leaders, Columbia Business Monthly (2023)
  • Jazz Ambassador, SC House of Representatives, Resolution H.4623 (2018)
  • SC Arts Commission Quarterly Grant (2018)
  • Artist of the Year, Jasper Magazine (2016)
  • Teacher of the Year, Freeway Music (2016)
  • Top 25 Emerging Trumpeters, DownBeat Magazine (2009)
  • People to Watch, New Orleans (1998)
  • Best New Jazz Group, OffBeat Magazine (1998)
  • New Orleans Jazz Kings Competition Winner (1998, 1999)

DISCOGRAPHY (As Leader/Co-Leader)

  • 2020: Great Gatsby by ColaJazz Little Big Band: the band that could! (Jangly Records)
  • 2017: Natural History (Jangly Records)
  • 2017: Art of the Song Vol. 3: Bebop (Jangly Records)
  • 2016: Cecil (Jangly Records)
  • 2016: Art of the Song Vol. 2: Ballads (Jangly Records)
  • 2011: Everybody Wants to be a Cat (Disney Jazz)
  • 2011: Good Eats (Dinemec Jazz)
  • 2010: Art of the Song Vol. 1 (Paved Earth Music)
  • 2009: The Strayhorn Project w/ Don Braden (Premium Music Solutions)
  • 2009: Token Tales (Paved Earth Music)
  • 1999: Quintology (Self-Published)

SIDEMAN / COLLABORATIONS

  • George Fetner & the Strays, Don Merckle, World Music Project (Geneva), Rob Bailey, Sweet Spot New Orleans, Winthrop Big Band
  • Appearances: Roy Hargrove, Wycliffe Gordon, Fred Wesley, Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding, Don Braden, Dr. Michael White, Nate Smith, James Genus, Trumpet Mafia, and others

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Jazz Festivals: Newport Jazz Festival, Fillmore Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, JazzTimes Festival (Croatia), Pipa Bossa & Jazz Festival (Brazil), Charleston Jazz Festival, Savannah Jazz Festival, Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival, SC Jazz Festival (Cheraw), Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Jazz Brevard, ColaJazz Festival, Spartanburg Jazz Festival, Fall for Greenville, Euphoria Festival, Columbia Food & Wine Festival, Crested Butte Food & Wine Festival, Arts in the Heart of Augusta, Florence Pecan Festival, Drink Pink Rosé Festival, Palmetto Peanut Boil, SC Oyster Festival, Reedy River Festival, BMW Charity Pro-Am, Jazz for All Ages Festival (Hilton Head), RioMar Jazz Festival (Recife, Brazil)

Venues: Blue Note NYC, Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Yoshi’s (San Francisco), AMR (Geneva, Switzerland), Jazzland (Vienna, Austria), Clube do Choro (Brasilia, Brazil), Jazz Tunnel (Zagreb, Croatia), Velvet Note (Atlanta, GA), Snug Harbor (New Orleans), Blues Alley (Washington, D.C.), Scullers (Boston), Trumpets Jazz Club (NJ), Silo’s Jazz Club (Napa), Feinstein’s at Loews Regency (NYC), Prime Example Jazz Club (New Orleans), Stage Door Theatre (Charlotte, NC), Good Times Jazz Cafe (Savannah, GA), White Mule (Columbia, SC), Pearlz Upstairz (Columbia, SC), Bar Figaro (Newberry, SC), The Aristocrat (Columbia, SC), Za’s on Devine (Columbia, SC), Hotel Trundle (Columbia, SC), Jazz on Dargan (Florence, SC), Le Cafe Jazz, Speakeasy, Bonafide Jazz Club (NYC), Prohibition (Charleston)

Featured Performances: Cirque du Soleil’s KA opening gala (Las Vegas), Great Day in Columbia, SC Governor’s Tree Lighting, Columbia Welcomes America’s Mayors, TEDx at USC, Nickelodeon Theatre, Trustus Theatre (Jingle Bell Jazz), Newberry Opera House, Wheel Sessions, Vista Lights, Saluda Shoals Jazz Series, Spirit of Lake Murray Jazz Cruise, Jazz Under the Stars (Lexington Amphitheatre), Main Street Public House Jazz Series, Jazz at 701 Whaley, Live in the Lobby (Koger Center)

EDUCATOR & CLINICIAN

  • Adjunct Faculty, Newberry College (2019–present)
  • Founder & Director, ColaJazz Summer Jazz Camps (Youth & Adult)
  • Faculty, Hilton Head Jazz Camp, USC Aiken Summer Camp
  • Guest Educator: University of New Orleans, Davidson College, Winthrop University, USC, Federal Universities in Brazil
  • Masterclasses & Presentations: Jazz Education Network (JEN), Hilton Head Symphony, USC Music Entrepreneurship & Trumpet Studios, McLaurin Elementary (Jazz for Kids), SCBDA Etude Recordings
  • Guest Lecturer at University of South Carolina (October 2019): Delivered a lecture on jazz entrepreneurship and performance practices to music students
  • Workshop at Winthrop University (February 2018): Conducted a jazz improvisation workshop, focusing on techniques for aspiring jazz musicians

MEDIA FEATURES

  • The State Newspaper Feature (January 2021): Profiled in The State newspaper, discussing efforts to invigorate the Columbia jazz scene and the founding of the ColaJazz Foundation

RADIO BROADCASTING

  • 2021–present: Host of two statewide radio shows on SC Public Radio: ColaJazz Presents… and Rapp on Jazz

GRANTS & FUNDING
Through the ColaJazz Foundation, Mark Rapp has secured substantial public and private support for jazz programming, education, and cultural tourism in South Carolina.

  • City of Columbia and Richland County H-Tax Grants – Significant hospitality tax funding in support of ColaJazz’s annual season, promoting cultural tourism and economic impact.
  • South Carolina Arts Commission – Multiple grants awarded to support jazz education, professional development, and public programming.
  • Nord Family Foundation – Funding for school-based outreach and community arts engagement.
  • Lipscomb Family Foundation – Support for youth jazz education initiatives.
  • Central Carolina Community Foundation – Connected Communities and other grants supporting public access to jazz in underserved areas.
  • Women’s Club of Columbia – Support for community enrichment and K–12 outreach concerts.

COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERSHIP

  • Founder & Executive Director, ColaJazz Foundation (2014–present): Annual ColaJazz Fest, Loft Sessions, Live in the Lobby, statewide school outreach (reaching 10,000+ students annually), JoJo’s Jazz Jam Family Series, ColaJazz Presents & Rapp on Jazz (SC Public Radio)
  • Musical Director, South Carolina Ballet (productions include Beatles Ballet, Great Gatsby, Motown, Studio 54)
  • Partner Programs: Richland Library, City of Columbia, SC Department of Education, Koger Center for the Arts

SELECTED MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS

  • “How Jazz Trumpeters Understand Their Music: 27 Interviews” by Dr. Thomas Erdmann (Edwin Mellen Press, 2010)
  • Featured in: JazzTimes, DownBeat, AllAboutJazz, Jazz Improv NY

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Jazz is my medium, but my mission is much broader: to use music to educate, connect, and uplift communities. My work is rooted in tradition and driven by innovation, with a deep belief in jazz as a living, evolving force that can transform lives, build empathy, and create meaningful dialogue. I strive to give artists a platform, students a path, and communities a shared rhythm.

“Rapp has his own way of defining jazz,
which keeps its standard principles while
delving into the experimental side.”
– JazzTimes

“Rapp is willing to tackle the history of this music
with his eyes on the past and his mind on the
present and future of this music.”
– AllAboutJazz.com

“One can’t help but sense a distinct identity to Rapp
in both his composing and playing and for this reason,
we will be hearing a lot more from him.”
– Jazz Improv NY Magazine

Trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader Mark Rapp is the founder of ColaJazz.com, a jazz initiative to grow and support jazz in and around Columbia, SC through events, education, recordings, and advocacy. In 2019, ColaJazz was 1 of 15 jazz organizations in the country chosen to beta-test the new Jazz at Lincoln Center After-School Content. ColaJazz brings jazz to the Children Hospital, retirement communities, schools and communities in need. In partnership with the Koger Center, Rapp presented a “Jazz for Young People” concert to 700 kids in the Boys & Girls Clubs and shortly after, Rapp presented a “SC Jazz Culture” concert for 2000 Richland One 3rd graders. He is also the co-creator and Artistic Director of the “Live in the Lobby: Koger Jazz” series.

Mark Rapp created and launched an all-ages, all-levels summer jazz camp now entering its 4th year and has featured jazz luminaries such as Delfeayo Marsalis, NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman and Sullivan Fortner. Rapp also created and launched an annual ColaJazz Festival now entering its 3rd year featuring Chris Potter, longtime Wynton Marsalis sideman Wess “Warmdddy” Anderson, Count Basie Musical Director Scotty Barnhart, Brazilian vocalist Liz Rosa, saxophonists Tia Fuller, Don Braden and Alexa Tarantino. In 2018, Rapp was named an Ambassador of Jazz for the State of South Carolina by the SC House of Representatives. Rapp is a 2020 Experience Columbia Ambassador and serves on the McKissick Museum advisory council.

Rapp has released 8 diverse recordings and appears as a sideman on a myriad of projects including Disney’s “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” alongside Roy Hargrove, Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding, The Bad Plus, Joshua Redman and more. Rapp’s celebrated 2009 debut release “Token Tales” earned him a spot as a “Top Emerging Trumpeter” in Downbeat Magazine, sold out the Blue Note (NYC) and debuted at the famed Newport Jazz Festival. Rapp is a featured artist in Mellen Press’ “How Jazz Trumpeters Understand Their Music” among a prestigious list including Terence Blanchard, Lew Soloff, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Hagans, Dave Douglas and more. Rapp also composed and produced a jazz ballet “Woven: Life in Notes and Steps” (wovenballet.com). He has performed in jazz clubs and festivals around the world from Croatia, Brasil, Austria, Switzerland and USA including back-to-back appearances at the 2017 & 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Performance Experience

Jazz clubs around the world from Snug Harbor (New Orleans), Blue Note (NYC), The Jazz Standard (NYC), Yoshi’s (San Francisco), Blues Alley (Washington, D.C.), Jazzland (Vienna, Austria), AMR (Geneva, Switzerland), Clube do Choro (Natal, Brasil) to Jazz Tunnel (Zagreb, Croatia). Jazz festivals around the world from the JVC Newport Jazz Festival, Fillmore Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, WC Handy Festival, Festival AMR des Cropettes (Switzerland), JazzTimes Festival in Croatia to the Jazz&Blues Festival in Garanhuns, Brazil. Mark was featured at Cirque du Soleil’s opening gala for KA in Las Vegas and invited by Guy Laliberte to perform for his birthday. Mark has been guest soloist with Big Bands, recorded as a special guest artist on CDs, played in the United Nations Symphony Orchestra, and has had many jazz greats perform in his bands including bassist James Genus (Herbie Hancock, Brecker Brothers, Saturday Night Live, Aretha Franklin), Walter Blanding, Jr, Don Braden, Wycliffe Gordon, Nate Smith, Clerence Penn, Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson and many others.

Education

Masters in Jazz Studies, University of New Orleans Bachelors in Music Performance, Winthrop University

Private Teachers

Mark has studied with Lew Soloff; Wycliffe Gordon; Stephen Jeandheur (Principal Trumpet, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande); Walter Blanding, Jr. (Tenor saxophonist, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra); Marcus Printup (Trumpet, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra); Clyde Kerr, Jr (who taught Nicholas Payton, Marlon Jordan, Terence Blanchard and others); Vincent Penzarella (NY Philharmonic), et al.

Teaching Experience

Mark has maintained a teaching studio throughout his travels. He has given master classes in University settings and has led and coached the United Nation’s World Music Project in Geneva, Switzerland. Mark was a guest lecturer for the Jazz Education Network Conference (Atlanta, Jan 2013), presenting the “Musical Mind: From Spirit to Song.” He is a passionate educator and performing artist and currently teaches privately through Freeway Music.