Nick Mulder has been an essential feature of Mark's bands since his first gigs as The Mark Ferguson Quintet in 1997. His awesome jazz improvisatory chops bring a great sense of ‘real jazz' to the band. Due to his teaching commitments he has missed a few tours and recordings, but his early work can be heard on the 2001 Tropical Fruit Chunks CD.

Nick was born in Melbourne in 1973 and moved to Adelaide to study in 1991. After graduating with honors from the University of Adelaide he has worked as a freelance musician in Sydney and Adelaide. He has performed with artists including Ray Charles, Chuck Findley, John Clayton, Don Rader, Andrew Gander and John Hoffman and currently performs with many local bands including Goose and Mark Ferguson's Marmalade Circus.

In addition to his performing career, Nick is Director of Music at St Peter's College.

Professional Performance Experience:

• Performed in professional theatre/stage productions including Singin' in the Rain, Shout, Tivoli, The Sound of Music, Fame, The Boy From Oz, Chicago, Kurt Weill's Mahagonny Songspiel, The Tom Burlinson Show, The Main Event, Hot Shoe Shuffle, The Moscow Circus, A Chorus Line (Sydney and Adelaide seasons), and 42nd Street

• Performed with overseas and interstate artists including Ray Charles, Chuck Findley, John Clayton, Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Anthony Warlow, Don Rader, John Hoffman, Jeff Usher, Rhonda Burchmore, Grace Knight, Brian Brown, Ian MacNamara, Frankie J. Holden and Jackie Love

• Presented as the `Image' of the 2000 Glenelg Jazz Festival

• Participant in Australia Council funded `Emerging Adelaide Jazz Musicians' programme for the Telstra Adelaide Festival in 1998

• Winner of the 1997 Jarvis Payne memorial award for the most outstanding jazz musician under 25 years of age

• Semi-finalist in 1996 National Jazz Awards, Wangaratta Jazz Festival

• Recipient of a grant for study in Europe from the Musician's Union of Australia

• Recording experience with commercially released C.D.s, television and radio advertisements

• Local professional ensembles including The Nick Mulder Quartet, Isotope, Mark Ferguson's Marmalade Circus, Goose, Brazza, The Boss Quintet/Sextet, The Connaitre Miller Quintet, The Daniel Harvey Quintet, The Gin Bottle Six, The Bruce Hancock Sextet, The Royal Garden Jazz Band, The Kym Purling Quintet/Sextet, Schmoe and Co, Rent, State of Shock, Dennis Sheridan's Superbowl, The D.W. Waldorf Swing Orchestra

• Interstate and South Australian country tours with a number of professional ensembles

• Private lessons with jazz trombonists in Europe including Jiggs Whigham, Vincent Nillson and Ola Okerman (1996-1997)

• Rehearsals with large and small ensembles at the Royal College of Music, Malmo, Sweden (1996-1997)