A professional oboist and saxophonist, Mark has a deep background in both jazz and classical music. The composer cites the music of Karel Husa, Bela Bartok, Paul Hindemith, Chick Corea and Ralph Towner as key influences in his early musical development. Piszczek studied at the University of South Florida and the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. 

After years of performing and recording professionally as a jazz artist, he decided to return to his classical roots. He received a master’s degree in composition at the University of Southern Maine, where he studied with composers Elliott Schwartz and Dan Sonenberg. He has written hundreds of jazz compositions, a flute sonata, two woodwind quintets, a brass quintet, a saxophone quartet, three large works for winds and percussion, a woodwind trio, numerous compositions for symphony orchestra including a new work, Song Catcher, based on Native American folk songs which was premiered by the Space Coast Symphony in 2025.