Mark DiFlorio was born and raised in Philadelphia. Mark moved to New Orleans in 1993, earning a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance from The University of New Orleans. He toured throughout Austria and Italy with the jazz quintet, Quintology, that went on to record the "Best new Jazz Album in New Orleans, 1999". He studied drums with the great Johnny Vidacovich, performed and toured in many New Orleans modern jazz groups including Astral Project, Quintology, The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, James Singleton and Ed Petersen and regularly performed at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
In 2005 Mark was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and relocated to Portland OR. In 2007 Mark toured through 5 countries in West Africa with the jazz quartet, Devin Philips and New Orleans Straight Ahead. They were selected by Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, to act as cultural ambassadors of the United States under the auspices of The U.S. State Department.
He is a founding member of The Kora Band, a West African influenced Jazz ensemble. The group’s 2010 album “Cascades” (OA2 Records) won Earshot Jazz’s award for “Northwest Jazz Album of the Year” and peaked at #12 on the U.S. World Music radio charts. In 2012, The Kora Band was awarded a prestigious Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant for the commissioning and recording of a new concert length work resulting in the 2016 release, “New Cities” (Whilrwind Recordings).
In 2015 Mark began recording and producing young artists, composing music for video and film and doing music supervision and sound design for podcasts. His music is a blend of acoustic instruments and electronics, sentimental to surreal, crafted to move your body, spirit and mind and always original.
“Professional and original, flexible and organized, Mark can help transmit the message of a moment with his unique sound design and on point music composition. This is audio magic.” Elettra Fiumi, CEO of Fiumi Studios
“This is great! I love everything about it. The music is brilliant…, uplifting and engaging.” - JWT Innovation Group podcast