Biography
"With my singing I would like to
turn all that's sad into laughter..."M. Cortes (Chile 1970)
Marco was born in Santiago de Chile. He lived in Hospital (near Paine) and later in the city of Quillota. He studied in "Santiago Escuti Orrego", a high school in Quillota. He is a teacher of Musical Education, licensed by the State, and graduated in 1982 from the University of Chile (Valparaiso). Among his professors at the University were Hugo Pirovic, member of the band "Congreso", Claudio Parra, member of the band "Los Jaivas", and Juan Estanislao Perez Ortega, a very well-known investigator and professor of Folklore in Chile.
Marco Cortes participated with much success in numerous musicals festivals, such as Olmue, La Ligua, Angol, Villarrica, La Calera, and Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 1982.
He is an active member of SCD, an organization of Chilean composers, artists and interpreters, that is affiliated to CISAC and FILAIE.
He has been living in Seattle (WA) since the year 2000.
He has performed in casinos, schools, cultural organizations, and in multicultural programs of the various public libraries in Washington. He has also performed in Oregon and Massachusetts.
His music speaks of the different Latin American cultures and is especially geared toward younger children.
His musical interests and influences are Lucho Gatica, Los Panchos, Joan Manuel Serrat, Payo Grondona, Carlos Santana, and The Beatles.
He currently works as Spanish and Music teacher, and he actively participates in various cultural aspects of the Northwest of the United States.