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OBU—Oklahoma Baptist University
Dr. Mark Franklin
Dr. Mark Franklin

Dr. Mark Franklin

Burton H. Patterson Professor of Music
Assistant Professor of Music

Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Pianist Mark Franklin is an Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he teaches applied piano, piano pedagogy, music theory, and group piano. An active performer, Franklin frequently appears in solo and collaborative engagements both within his local community and beyond. In 2013, Franklin appeared as a soloist with the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the keyboard division of the Wheaton College Concerto Competition. He is also an enthusiastic chamber musician, regularly collaborating with numerous vocalists and instrumentalists, such as with clarinetist Katsuya Yuasa for his winning performance at the Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition, held in Denver, Colorado. Franklin was also the winner of Florida State University’s Annual Competitive Festival as a graduate student in 2020. Most recently, he was awarded Third Place for the American Prize’s Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music in 2021. Franklin’s activities often also include adjudication of piano competitions and festivals inside and outside Oklahoma. During the summers, he frequently serves as faculty for summer music camps, including the FSU Summer Piano Institute and Piano Camp, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Franklin received a D.M. and M.M. in Piano Performance at Florida State University, where he studied with Dr. Heidi Louise Williams and Dr. Joel Hastings, and also completed Specialized Studies in Music Theory Pedagogy. While at Florida State University, he held assistantships in secondary applied piano teaching as well as accompanying. Franklin also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, where he graduated summa cum laude, studying with Dr. Daniel Paul Horn. During his time at Wheaton College, he was also the recipient of numerous merits, including the Phemister Prize and Alton Cronk Award in Music. Additionally, he has participated in master classes with artists such as Paul Lewis, Angela Cheng, William Wolfram, Alexander Toradze, Joshua Roman, Pierre Vallet, Jon Kimura Parker, and Douglas Humpherys.

Education

  • B.M., Piano Performance, Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (2015)
  • M.M., Piano Performance, Florida State University (2017)
  • D.M., Piano Performance, Florida State University (2021)
  • Specialized Studies in Music Theory Pedagogy, Florida State University (2021)

Subjects Taught

  • Applied Piano
  • Class Piano
  • Piano Pedagogy
  • Music Theory
  • Fine Arts

Professional Memberships

  • Music Teachers National Association (2008 - Present)
  • Oklahoma Music Teachers Association (2016 - Present)

Awards and Honors

  • The American Prize, Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music (college/university division): Third Place
  • Florida State University Annual Competitive Festival: First Place
  • Wheaton College Concerto Competition: Keyboard Division Winner

Selected Publications

  • Doctoral Treatise: "Trials and Telos: Piano Variations Inspired by the Sacred Music of J.S. Bach" and "The Pianist Across Time: Diverse Pianism and Polystylism in the Music of Carter Pann" (2021)

Selected Presentations

  • "Trials and Telos: Piano Variations Inspired by the Sacred Music of J.S. Bach" (Florida State University, 2020)
  • "A Serious Celebration: Carter Pann's Five Serious Pieces for Piano" (Florida State University, 2019)

Selected Recent Performances

  • Chopin’s Op. 25 Etudes, Solo Piano Recital, April 4, 2023, Yarborough Auditorium, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK
  • Faculty Showcase Recital, June 21, 2022, Longmire Recital Hall, Florida State University Piano Institute, Tallahassee, FL
  • Digby Bell Memorial Recital, Collaborative Performance, March 9, 2022, Yarborough Auditorium, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK
  • Keyboard Academy Artist, Solo Piano Recital, Nov. 21, 2021, Yarborough Auditorium, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK
  • Wallace Community Artist Series, Solo Piano Recital, September 30, 2021, Bencze Theatre, Wallace Community College, Dothan, AL