Biography
Mark Portmann, a prolific keyboardist, producer, and arranger, first sat at the piano when he reached the age of five. Three years later his performances were already delighting listeners and bringing him recognition for his skill.
After leaving classical repertoire behind in favor of pop and jazz, he attracted sufficient notice to win a scholarship to New York’s Eastman School of Music, where his studies concentrated on composition and orchestration.
During his teenage years Portmann relocated from New York to the University of Miami. He completed his degree there under instructors that included Vince Maggio. Session work supported him financially even before graduation; he played and recorded with various Miami artists and toured alongside José Luis Rodriguez.
Portmann settled in Los Angeles in 1988 and joined the group the Rippingtons. During his four-year tenure as their keyboardist the band issued three top-selling albums and performed on stages around the world.
After departing the Rippingtons he established his own imprint, Hands On, Inc., and released the album Roadmusic in 1994. The recording appeared on the R&R chart and on the Top 94 of 1994.
His next project, Driving Beverly Hills, later reappeared in 1997 on the Zebra Records label and featured the tracks “Indigo Sunsets,” “Cruise Control,” and “Point of No Return.” That same year he finished No Truer Words, also issued by Zebra.
Throughout his career Portmann has collaborated with numerous prominent artists, among them Barbra Streisand, Annie Lennox, James Ingram, Luther Vandross, Julio Iglesias, Boyz II Men, Debbie Gibson, Michael Bolton, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and Christina Aguilera. In addition he has contributed to film scores and recordings heard in Purple Sage, Made in America, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Pooh’s Grand Adventure, and Miracle on 34th St., as well as television programs that include the 1996 Grammy Awards, Diagnosis Murder, Cagney & Lacey, and Murder She Wrote.
After leaving classical repertoire behind in favor of pop and jazz, he attracted sufficient notice to win a scholarship to New York’s Eastman School of Music, where his studies concentrated on composition and orchestration.
During his teenage years Portmann relocated from New York to the University of Miami. He completed his degree there under instructors that included Vince Maggio. Session work supported him financially even before graduation; he played and recorded with various Miami artists and toured alongside José Luis Rodriguez.
Portmann settled in Los Angeles in 1988 and joined the group the Rippingtons. During his four-year tenure as their keyboardist the band issued three top-selling albums and performed on stages around the world.
After departing the Rippingtons he established his own imprint, Hands On, Inc., and released the album Roadmusic in 1994. The recording appeared on the R&R chart and on the Top 94 of 1994.
His next project, Driving Beverly Hills, later reappeared in 1997 on the Zebra Records label and featured the tracks “Indigo Sunsets,” “Cruise Control,” and “Point of No Return.” That same year he finished No Truer Words, also issued by Zebra.
Throughout his career Portmann has collaborated with numerous prominent artists, among them Barbra Streisand, Annie Lennox, James Ingram, Luther Vandross, Julio Iglesias, Boyz II Men, Debbie Gibson, Michael Bolton, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and Christina Aguilera. In addition he has contributed to film scores and recordings heard in Purple Sage, Made in America, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Pooh’s Grand Adventure, and Miracle on 34th St., as well as television programs that include the 1996 Grammy Awards, Diagnosis Murder, Cagney & Lacey, and Murder She Wrote.
Albums