Mark Dannenbring is the artist behind the development of the Grenaditte flute. His association with Geoffrey Guo stretches back twenty years, and many of the company’s innovations have arisen out of their extensive dialogues. Mark’s dual interest in both period instruments and modern music inspired him to challenge Geoffrey to create a flute that could equally capture the spirit of every period, by bridging the gap between the radically different responses of a flutist’s air stream within cylindrical and conical tubes. This collaboration between Mark’s musical ideas and Geoffrey’s remarkable ability to turn those ideas into reality has catapulted the Guo Company to international recognition as one of the most innovative manufacturers of musical instruments in the world.

Mark is also an innovator in the field of body/mind awareness in musical performance. Drawing on his extensive background in all of the performing arts – music, dance, and theatre – as well as his studies of Alexander Technique and Chi Gong, Mark was able to regain complete coordination of his hands after a severe struggle with focal dystonia. This malady, a neurological condition that causes non-volitional muscular contractions, forced him to spend many years investigating how thought relates to motor activity. He now teaches others how Chi, which can either be viewed as air or energy, is at the heart of all things, and challenges wind players to seek a clearer understanding of how their breathing and thinking effect their musical performance.

Mark maintains an active career teaching flute and body awareness at the prestigious Tunghai University of Taiwan, while also performing regularly on both period instruments and the Grenaditte flute. He recently recorded the first CD devoted exclusively to this unique instrument, and acts as both a consultant and artist in residence for the Guo company. With his wife, Kwei-Yi, Mark has produced several Boxwood Festivals in New Zealand, a festival devoted to both Celtic music and Early music. He is also the artistic director for the Miaoli Mountain Music Festival, which explores the many traditions of both music and dance around the world. He holds a doctorate in flute performance and pedagogy from the University of Iowa, a masters from the University of Cincinnati, a diploma from the Orff Institute in Salzbug, Austria, and a B.A. from Luther College.