VIDEO
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PHOTO
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BIO
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Mario was born in 1966 near Vienna, Austria. He started playing drums at age 5, and began his studies at the “Konservatorium der Stadt Wien” at age 13.
He started working with trumpet master Art Farmer in 1984, and stayed with Art until his untimely death in 1998.
In 1989 Mario was Paquito D’Rivera’s regular drummer in the US.

Between 1999 and 2008, Mario worked with The Vienna Art Orchestra. This helped him to get established as a much-in-demand Big Band drummer, and led him to work with some of Europe’s Radio and freelance orchestras, like The Joe Haider/Bert Joris-Anniversary Big Band (1992), The Generations Big Band (2000, 2002 and 2004), The Hessischen Rundfunk Big Band (2006 and 2009), The Sunday Night Orchestra, The Budapest Jazz Orchestra, and The Barcelona Jazz Orchestra.
One of the most active freelance drummers in Europe, Mario has worked with Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, Vincent Herring, Red Holloway, Brad Lealy, Charlie Rouse, Sal Nistico, Odean Pope, Jim Pepper, Ernie Wilkins, Buddy deFranco, Scott Hamilton, Jesse Davis, Andy Scherrer, Sal Nistico, Bob Berg, Dick Oatts, Larry Porter, Ferdinand Povel, Roman Schwaller, Gary Smulyan, Bobby Watson, Allan Praskin, Benny Bailey, Randy Brecker, Derrick Gardner, Dusko Gojkovic, John Marshall, Ack van Royen, Claudio Roditti, Clark Terry, Thomas Gansch, Bob Brookmayer, Peter Herbolzheimer, Jim Galloway, Jay McShann, Cedar Walton, Richie Beirach, Don Friedman, Kirk Lightsey, Mal Waldron, Kenny Werner, Fritz Pauer, Dado Moroni, Joe Haider, Chuck Israels, Jimmy Woode, Isla Eckinger, Reggie Johnson, Ed Schuller, Paulo Cardoso, Carl Ratzer, Emily Remler, Ann Hampton Callaway, Roberta Gambarini, Mark Murphy, Dena DeRose, Kevin Mahogany, Etta Cameron, Sheila Jordan, Marianne Mendt, Mark Murphy, Shawn Monteiro, Take Six, and many more.
Mario received the “Hans Koller Jazz-award” as “Sideman of the year 2001”.
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