Mario E. Sprouse Bio
Mario E. Sprouse is a native New Yorker whose parents were born in the Dominican Republic. A product of NYC public schools, Mario attended DeWitt Clinton High School and has a BA in Music from The City College of New York. Mario has been active in the arena of music, theater and film for over 50 years. He’s been musical director for a number of theatrical events, including “Black Nativity–a Gospel Song Play” by Langston Hughes, directed by Jesse Wooden Jr. Most recently (2019) Mr. Sprouse was the composer and AUDELCO Award winner for Outstanding Musical Direction for “The Dark Star from Harlem”–a tribute to Josephine Baker at La Mama Theater in New York City. Carmen McRae, Grover Washington jr. Gregory Hines, Phylicia Rashad, Hubert Laws and Buster Williams are among the many who have performed his original music and arrangements.
For 20 years Mario was the music assistant of the late, legendary, modern Renaissance man Gordon Parks and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Gordon Parks Foundation.
Mario is also the Arts Ministry Coordinator at Marble Collegiate Church in NYC and author of “Precious & Honored – a Spiritual Handbook for Artists.” Available at www.preciousandhonored.net