Marc Pekowsky

Band Leader & Conductor

Private Stock's founder and conductor has had a long love affair with music from a young age. He began his musical studies as a classical pianist at the age of six with renowned piano teacher, Bertha Keller, in New York City. As a student in the Greenburgh, NY, public schools in the 1970's, he met a man who would become a life-long teacher, mentor and friend, William "Bill" Ellington, a bassist, composer, and arranger who had played with the seminal jazz group, "The Latin Jazz Quintet" in the 1950's and 60's and whose album "Caribe" w/ Eric Dolphy is considered a classic. And, yes, he was one of "those" Ellingtons.  It was Bill who first taught Marc to play woodwinds - clarinets, saxes, and flutes - his professional instruments - as well as introducing him to jazz and other forms of modern music. The name of our band is an homage to Ellington, who first used it to refer to his young jazz students as his own "Private Stock".

In addition to Ellington, Marc has also studied with a number of outstanding instrumentalists including clarinet virtuoso Jerome “Gino" Sala and saxophone with muti-instrumentalist and "Sound Guru," John Purcell, a member of Jack DeJohnette's "Special Edition," and Hammiet Bluiett of The World Saxophone Quartet. He has also studied at such well-known conservatories as The Eastman School of Music, The Berklee College of Music, and The Julliard School of Music and was the Founder of The Purchase College Jazz Ensemble. He has performed with numerous individuals and ensembles throughout the United States such as Pete Seeger, Wynton Marsalis, the Saturday Night Live Band, the Westchester Symphonic Winds, the Bob January Orchestra, the Sonny Carrol Orchestra, and the Broadway show, "Cabaret," just to name a few. He continues to perform throughout the Hudson Valley and metropolitan tri-state area. 

It is as a music educator that Marc takes the most pride as over the course of 35 years, he was an Instrumental Music Instructor, Ensembles Director, and World Music Teacher for thousands of students in public schools throughout Westchester County, NY. Marc currently resides in Putnam County, NY with his lovely wife, Ivy, and is the proud father of Samantha and Katie and grandfather to twins Maxwell and Aiden.