Full Artist Biography
From Alpine Roots to Sonic Metamorphosis: THE TURBULENT JOURNEY OF A LEGAL ALIEN IN A HUMAN SPACE SUIT
Markus Myō-on Mars (they/them) is an electric violin live looping artist, writer, and meditation guide who works in the genres of minimalism, ambient, and world fusion.
Originating from the picturesque Austrian Alps, Markus embarked on their musical journey in the 1980s with classical violin training that evolved into a diverse exploration of jazz, rock, blues, world fusion, and electronica. At age 12, Markus started conducting and composing for chamber and symphonic orchestras, infusing electronic music elements into traditional ensembles.
In the early 2000s, Markus fused their love for electronic music with mastering the electric violin and electronic drums, creating a distinctive style characterized by percussive beats generated on the violin's body. As part of the Hollywood Music in Media award-winning progressive EDM duo Fatmagic, Markus achieved notable success in the 2010s, releasing multiple albums, gaining recognition on international charts, and touring internationally.
Most Influential Teachers
Brigitte Duftschmid (violin), Tscho Theissing (violin, improvisation), Andrea Mugrauer (violin), Andi Schreiber (jazz violin, improvisation), Mark O'Connor (fiddle), Jean-Luc Ponty (electric violin), Mark Wood (electric violin), Darol Anger (fiddle), Benjamin Zenk (critical thinking), Thich Nhat Hanh (engaged Buddhism), Rev. Jiko Nakade (Sōtō Zen), Jack Kornfield (Vipassanā meditation), Gregory Pai (Vipassanā meditation).
Live Violin Minimalism
Crafting Sonic Alchemy
In 2015, after enriching their artistry by performing in over 30 countries and collaborating with numerous renowned artists, bands, DJs, and orchestras from all over the world, Markus found a peaceful new home in the volcanic landscapes of Hawai'i Island.
During a much-needed solitary retreat into the lush jungles of Hawai'i, Markus wrote and released the album Interdimensional under the alter ego Son of Mars by blending electronic world music with live instruments. This vibrant musical piece showcases symphonic elements interwoven within a warm synthetic soundscape, accompanied by bass-heavy beats and the addition of a unique telescopic didgeridoo and a custom 5-string electric violin. Interdimensional partially contains 15 years of unreleased ideas and composition fragments, reflecting a profound reprocessing of a seeker's tumultuous and, at times, exhausting life.
Then, in 2018, Markus transformed their approach to music creation, eschewing pre-composed pieces and embracing genre-crossing live composition in the style of minimalism and world fusion. Crafting intricate effects chains, Markus began composing entire concerts—psychedelic symphonies—from scratch, recording and mixing them in real-time with an audience present. Esteemed artists like Philip Glass, Adham Shaikh, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Reich, Pauline Anna Tuell Strom, Darol Anger, and Andrew Bird influenced this evolution.
When the enormous Kīlauea eruption in 2018 buried Markus's neighborhood under lava and turned them into a couch-surfing nomad, Markus made a profound and life-changing discovery. The Latin name Markus means dedicated to or son of Mars, the Roman god of war. The Hawaiian god Kū holds the equivalent role to Mars, and Kū (Japanese version of the Sansrkit Śūnyatā) signifies emptiness in Buddhism. This revelation resonated so deeply with the foundation of their work of deconstructing the status quo to make room for new paths of experiencing our environment, allowing spontaneous noise and tones to arise from silence, the emptiness of sound. Reflecting on this revelation, Markus embraced the essence of their being, pushing the boundaries of spirituality and rationality. Creating emptiness within the first name by removing the letters k and u, the last name appeared, and Markus Mars was born.
Markus is a student of Buddhism and received the Buddhist precepts in the Sōtō Zen tradition at the Daifukuji Soto Mission in Kealakekua, Hawai'i. Markus was given their Buddhist name, Myō-on, which means wondrous sound and voice of Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva. While Avalokiteśvara was depicted as male in India, in East Asian Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara is most often depicted as a female figure known as Guanyin (in Chinese), Kannon (in Japanese), and Gwaneum (in Korean).
Embodying a non-binary perspective within the artistic expression, each performance by Markus Myō-on Mars transmutes into a one-of-a-kind auditory masterpiece, a live composition influenced by a metamorphic musical journey and shaped by the vibrations of the present moment, inviting listeners to get a taste of sonic superfood crafted with care and passion.
Markus is a Plum Village ZASP course alumni.
“I was assigned male at birth, and this aspect is integral to my life journey; therefore, I don't feel offended if someone uses he/him pronouns in reference to me. However, I've always wondered what it would be like to identify as a woman or an intersex person. When I encountered the concept of nonbinary in 2022, I recognized it as fitting for me because I don't adhere strictly to either male or female identities. While they/them pronouns don't fully resonate with me as my sole gender identity due to their plural nature, I find them acceptable when encompassing my gender and non-gender identities, such as the artist, the meditator, and the warrior.”
— Markus Mars on Gender Identity
Finding Audible Peace
Fairness Through Awareness
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Markus started offering meditative sound bath livestreams. They continued developing this practice into Audible Peace, fostering a harmonious world and delving deep into the wisdom of nature, spirituality, kindness, applied mindfulness, and gratitude, crafting an open space for deep listening, curiosity, and complex problem-solving. Markus explores a new way of looking at discomfort, replacing it with curiosity and avoiding an escape into personalized alternate realities while holding space for a shared journey of discovery, reflection, and transformation. In a world where the allure of easy answers often overshadows the truth, leading to disconnection and indifference, Markus encourages an honest insight reflection on the present moment to foster its deconstruction, making space for the foundation of a presence and future based on fairness through awareness.
Beyond the Music, a World of Stories
Continuing to create Zen-sational live-looping performances and eclectic sound designs that resonate with audiences worldwide, Markus Myō-on Mars breaks barriers not only from a gender perspective but also within the non-binary environment of our shared reality. Beyond the music, there is a world of stories, encounters, and reflections that inspire such sonic creations. In 2022, Markus started their Blue Planet Observer publication on Substack, diving into the depths of an interdimensional journey to explore the origins that shape their work.