Markus Burger, born September 30, 1966 in Germany, is a jazz pianist, composer, label executive and music educator. His music has been performed in Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, and most recently in the United States. He began studying piano at age six and later earned his Diplom in Performing Arts from the Essen Folkwang School in Germany, a B.A. in Piano and Composition from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands and a Certification in Popular Music from the University of Hamburg, Germany. In developing his signature sound over the years, Markus drew his influences from a wide range of musical styles including J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy, Keith Jarret, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Pat Matheny, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Sting. He has released eight albums, featuring his own compositions and arrangements, among them, his two most recent releases, Genesis and Inside Outside. His CD Genesis, an avant-garde jazz collaboration with renowned drummer Matt Marucci, has received raving reviews from jazz critics in the United States while his latest Spiritual Standards project Inside Outside, with Berlin-based saxophonist Jan Von Klewitz, made its debut during a nationally televised performance in Germany on New Year's day 2005. His second album, The Smile of the Honeycake Horse, with his quartet Septer Bourbon, received wide acclaim from the European press and Downbeat Magazine in the United States and achieved something of a “cult following” in Germany. His