Brooklyn Duo

Brooklyn Duo Biography

Brooklyn Duo is a cello and piano duo that covers popular music on classical instruments. Canadian pianist Marnie Laird, praised as "…a technically immaculate, probing and authoritative protagonist" (The Miami Herald), enjoys an active career as a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, soloist and orchestral player. She recently completed a three-year fellowship as the principal pianist of the New World Symphony in Miami under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Since moving to New York City after her time with the New World Symphony, Marnie has worked as a pianist with several opera companies, including the Gotham Chamber Opera. She is also on staff as a collaborative pianist at The Juilliard School, the Special Music School and the Lucy Moses School, and maintains a private teaching studio. Recent performances have taken her to Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Lincoln Center. Most recently, her performance with cellist Matthew Zalkind for the Concert Artists Guild competition was broadcast live on WFMT radio. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Marnie has been the recipient of numerous Canadian awards, including top prizes from the Canadian Music Competitions, Canadian Music Teachers' Association, and the BC Arts Council. Most notably she was awarded the Gold Medal for the highest mark in Canada on the A.R.C.T. piano performance exams. She made her solo orchestral debut at age 13 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and has participated in the Tanglewood, Music Academy of the West, Kneisel Hall, and Banff summer festivals. Marnie received her Master’s degree in collaborative piano from The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of a full scholarship. She also has a Master’s in solo piano from The University of British Columbia. Her principal teachers include Lorraine Ambrose, Robin Wood, Jane Coop, Jonathan Feldman, and Margo Garrett. Patrick Laird is a much sought-after cellist and composer/arranger. He is widely recognized as the cellist and founding member of the cello-rock ensemble "Break of Reality". As a performer with Break of Reality, he has given concerts in over 40 states across the U.S. in major performing arts centers, rock clubs, concert halls and colleges. Recent highlights include a country-wide music education bus tour, a sold-out tour of Alaska, and direct support for the rock group "Cake". In 2015 the group acted as music ambassadors, touring several countries in South America and Central Asia as part of the American Music Abroad program. An avid composer and arranger, Patrick has written music for all three of Break of Reality's original albums, as well as arrangements for the band’s “Covers” album. His songs are streamed over 20 million times a year on internet radio, and his music has been featured in national television programs, including Dateline NBC and America’s Investigative Reports on PBS, which went on to win an Emmy. His recent arrangement and performance of the Game of Thrones theme song has over 10 million views on YouTube, and was hailed by the Huffington Post as "the best rendition of the theme song you will ever hear." In 2012, he wrote his first major composition in classical form, a "Concerto for 3 Cellos, Percussion & Orchestra", which Break of Reality premiered in the U.S. with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and South America with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. Patrick is also a prominent voice in the commercial music world, with articles featured in many online and print outlets, including Billboard and Resolution Magazine. He has been interviewed for a number of publications, including Forbes Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Strings Magazine. Patrick received his Bachelor's degree, as well as the prestigious Performer’s Certificate, from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Steve Doane.