Pianist · Composer · Educator · Broadcaster.
Twenty years performing, writing and teaching jazz and contemporary music.
ABOUT
Mark Baynes is a New Zealand-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator. He holds a DMA (Doctorate of Musical Arts) with a thesis analysing consonance and dissonance in Western music, and is an Aotearoa Music Awards winner and DANZ Award winner for Best Original Composition.
He has performed alongside Troy Kingi, Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos, the Royal NZ Ballet, the NZ Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia, and jazz greats including Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea). He co-leads the duo Goldsmith Baynes with vocalist Allana Goldsmith and the Latin-jazz group Fuentes Baynes with Miguel Fuentes.
Mark teaches private jazz and contemporary piano lessons in Auckland, presents The Jazz Show on 95bFM, and writes a monthly column for NZ Musician Magazine. He is also Director of Let's Go Music — an NZQA-registered training establishment running music industry programmes.
LISTEN
Goldsmith Baynes, Ironic Trio, Fuentes Baynes, and other bits and pieces.
Different audiences, different places. Pick whichever you came here for.
JAZZ PIANO LESSONS
Private jazz & contemporary piano lessons in West Auckland and online. Plus a 184-post archive of writing on jazz, harmony, and analysis.
Jazzpiano.co.nz →GOLDSMITH BAYNES
Duo with vocalist Allana Goldsmith. Creative NZ-funded album E Rere Rā reimagines jazz standards in te reo Māori — broadcast on BBC, Jazz FM, CBC, RNZ.
goldsmithbaynes.com →FUENTES BAYNES
Latin-jazz duo & trio with Miguel Fuentes (NYC/Yale) and Tim Hopkins. Available for jazz clubs, festivals, weddings, and corporate events.
View site →LET'S GO MUSIC
NZQA-registered private training establishment offering programmes for music industry careers. Built by former MAINZ staff.
letsgomusic.ac.nz →MY WOODSHED MUSIC
Practice platform for piano students — weekly assignments, audio uploads for feedback, AI-assisted resources. For existing students of mine.
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