Dr. Marcus Norris, born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, began his musical journey producing rap beats before transitioning to composing concert music. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Columbia College Chicago, a Master of Music from Florida International University, and a PhD from UCLA under the Cota-Robles Fellowship. His style blends classical forms with influences from rap, R&B, and other genres, creating innovative works for orchestra and chamber ensembles. Norris has achieved recognition through commissions and premieres, including his violin concerto GLORY with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in 2019, followed by performances in Guangzhou, China; the Dance Suite I Tried So Hard for You in Havana in 2018; and My Idols Are Dead in Moscow. He served as inaugural Composer-in-Residence for the Chicago Philharmonic (2021-2024), won the Atlanta Opera's 96-hour Opera Project, and debuted at Walt Disney Concert Hall with MERCY in 2022. In 2020, he founded South Side Symphony in Los Angeles, which performs diverse repertoire including hip-hop alongside Beethoven. Live, Norris is known for conducting South Side Symphony in accessible presentations of contemporary works by composers of color at venues across Los Angeles, and for orchestrating high-profile events such as Beyoncé's 2023 Dubai performance and the 2022 Wearable Art Gala.