Marco Ullstein

Marco Ullstein is a vibraphonist with roots in Italy and Germany. He began playing the drums at a young age and quickly developed a love for percussion instruments, leading him to study classical percussion at the University of Performing Arts in Munich and win several prices at competitions as solo percussion performer. His main instrument became the marimba until he became more interested in improvised music and discovered the vibraphone in jazz music through a friend, with whom he started a vibraphone-piano duo.

After studying with jazz vibraphonist Saverio Tasca at the Conservatorio di Vicenza for one year as an Erasmus student to deepen his knowledge of jazz music, he decided to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in jazz vibraphone at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where he is currently studying with vibraphonist Miro Herak and saxophonist Benjamin Herman. In addition to his main subject, he is also taking lessons in jazz piano and continuing with drum set.

Throughout his musical career, he has participated in several competitions and masterclasses in different countries such as Italy, Germany, Ireland, Romania and Netherlands. He went on two concert tours to Cairo and Muscat with the Munich string and percussion ensemble, where he played oriental music.

In recent years, he has formed various groups, such as his ‘vibes trio’, a voice-vibraphone duo, and most recently, his ‘Marco Ullstein Quintet’, for which he is the bandleader and composer of the music. In March 2023, his quintet won first prize at the finals of the Grachten Festival Jazz Competition in Amsterdam, and in July 2023, Marco will perform as a soloist at the Premio Massimo Urbani in Italy.

Photo credit: Marco Ullstein