Biography
Dr. Marcus Norris’s childhood foray into music came through producing rap beats on pirated software, installed on a Windows 98 computer that he Macgyvered together from spare parts. He came to composing concert music later and transferred that same imagination to writing music of all kinds. This cross-genre mastery resulted in Beyoncé asking Marcus to orchestrate several songs for her and 50-piece orchestra as part of her 2023 Dubai return to live performance. Miss Tina Knowles-Lawson chose Marcus as Music Director for the 2022 Wearable Art Gala, with South Side Symphony accompanying Chloe & Halle Bailey and Andra Day. Marcus founded South Side Symphony in 2020, which he describes as "like if Quincy Jones grew up on 90s R&B and Rap."
In the short time since, with Marcus composing and conducting, they’ve performed for thousands of people at iconic LA venues, as well as recorded for major albums, films, and TV shows. Marcus most recently composed the score for the hit AppleTV+ drama mini-series Lady in the Lake starring Natalie Portman and directed by Alma Har’el. He was composer-in-residence for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program 23-24, and his newest opera with Adamma Ebo premiered with The Atlanta Opera in 2024.
For more information on Marcus and his music, visit www.MarcusNorris.com and www.SouthSideSymphony.org