Peter Markes
Artistic Director -Summer Symphony Strings Camp
Peter Markes (Marcus) lives and dreams in Oklahoma City with his wife, Kris, and their two boys, Patrick and Vincent. Since 2020 he has taught on faculty at his alma mater, Oklahoma City University, as associate professor and head of music education and faculty advisor for OCU's Collegiate NAfME Chapter. Prior to that he taught orchestra in the Edmond (OK) Public Schools for 15 years, taking the Edmond North Orchestra to a performance at the Midwest Clinic in 2012 and two tours to Carnegie Hall. In 2013, he was chosen to represent over 45,000 educators as the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching, Markes owns his own small business specializing in music performance and education consulting. As a performer, he has partnered with Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassador, Kyle Dillingham, for 29 years, and together they have performed and taught in over 30 countries on five continents, played on the Grand Ole Opry, and released several recordings in the Americana and folk-pop genres. As a solo artist, audiences are drawn in by his one-man band live-looping violin performances. Markes has also released two solo albums, I Have a Dream (2018) and My Father’s Age (2024), available to stream worldwide or purchase through his website. Learn and hear more by visiting www.PeterMarkes.com or social media and YouTube at Peter Markes Music.