MARQUE BLACK accepted the Lord as his Savior at age 12 at Caney Creek Baptist Church in England, Arkansas. The son of a Baptist preacher and a high school choral director, Marque’s life has been filled with music and the Word of God all of his life. A former high school choral director, Marque has been a Minister of Music for over twenty five years and currently serves as Music Minister and Worship Leader at Sharon Missionary Baptist Church in Benton, Arkansas. He has previously served in several Arkansas churches, including Gardner Baptist Church in Hamburg, Beech Street Missionary Baptist Church in Crossett, First Baptist Church in Sheridan, Salem Baptist Church in Benton, Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in Prattsville and Trinity Baptist Church in Searcy. Marque received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and has completed forty graduate hours toward fulfillment of a Masters degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. A Classicly trained operatic tenor, Marque has coached with such notables as internationally renowned opera conductor Boris Goldovsky, and Metropolitan Opera heldontenor James King. In 2001-2003 Marque served as a Guest Artist at the University of Central Arkansas Opera Program, and is a vocal student-colleague of Dr. Wolfgang Oeste. Marque is a four-time winner of the Arkansas National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition (NATS). He has previously sung with the Arkansas Opera Theatre (now known as Wildwood Opera), the Arkansas Chamber Singers, the Pine Bluff Chamber Singers, the Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra, and as a member of the Celebration Singers with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in the 2002 Cole Porter Celebration and the Yuletide Singers in ASO’s Christmas Celebration Concerts the previous five years. Marque also recently sang two roles in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s production of Puccini’s opera, “Turandot.” He has also served as a guest soloist with various ensembles, choirs, churches and orchestras across the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. At age nineteen, Marque was selected to attend the prestigious Oglesby Opera Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia, and remains the youngest person ever chosen to participate in this nationally-known exclusive opera program. He also attended the Inspiration Point Fine Arts Opera Colony in Eureka Springs, Arkansas after winning the Arkansas State Federation of Music Clubs Scholarship for this event. Marque has an extensive opera, operetta, music theatre and acting background. His repertoire includes twenty-five roles, and most recently has sung the lead tenor roles in Puccini’s La Boheme, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Barak’s “La Pizza con Funghi,” Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and the lead tenor soloist in the modern oratorio, “Savior.” Marque is in demand as an operatic tenor, soloist, choral clinician and conductor, adjudicator, teacher, worship leader, and gospel concert artist. He has recorded four gospel music albums, and has presented over 200 solo concerts in recent years as a gospel music artist.