Mark Tonelli is an internationally-renowned musician and educator based in Decatur, Illinois. He is associate professor of music and coordinator of guitar studies at Millikin University, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar, and a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil.

Mark enjoys an active performing career, working with a wide variety of artists: American Idol Clay Aiken, Broadway legend Rita Moreno, rock icons The Platters; crooner Bobby Rydell; and jazz musician Peter Erskine. He has been seen on Fox News and in the Emmy- nominated PBS special Marina At West Point.

Mark has had residencies in the major music hubs of New York City, Dallas, and Kansas City. His group has released three critically-acclaimed recordings on the MTonal Music label and performs Mark’s award- winning original compositions, rock pieces reimagined for jazz, and Brazilian gems.

He has performed on three continents, including Ukraine, Holland, Brazil, and Canada and in twenty-five U.S. states. As a Fulbright Scholar, Mark served as a visiting professor at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in Minas Gerais, Brazil and traveled across the country performing in the cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Goiânia, and Campinas.

For ten years, Mark was the guitarist for the U.S. Army Jazz Knights, touring and performing in the nation’s top venues, including Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, Jazz Showcase, Kennedy Center, Jazz Kitchen, and Avery Fisher Hall. With the Jazz Knights, Mark performed with a who’s who of jazz legends including Benny Golson, Billy Cobham, Bobby Watson, Rufus Reid, and Bob Mintzer, as well as the Boston Pops and the New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet.

Mark’s music has been featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered. He has been a winner or finalist in the Billboard Magazine World Song Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition. Mark is the author of “Everybody’s Jazz Guitar Method,” “Way To Play: Jazz Guitar Riffs and Chords,” and “Way To Play: Chord Melody,” published by the FJH Music Company; and “Entrepreneurship in Action: The Power of Student-Run Ventures,” published by Edward Elgar. He has made presentations at major music conferences, including the Jazz Education Network, National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the College Music Society. He proudly endorses D’Addario Strings and Eastman Guitars.”

Tickets are non-refundable. No DSLR, point-and-shoot, or other digital/film cameras permitted (mobile phones are ok) unless credentialed in advance.

Doors: 7:15 pm (There is no admittance until this time)
Showtime: 8pm

About Lucille’s

Lucille’s is a cozy venue with clean sight lines & good sound featuring Jazz, Blues & Latin acts, plus eats. Founded in 2021, Lucille’s is a publicly accessible jazz lounge which is located inside TolHouse, a private, Members-only social club designed for the city-dwelling creative and entrepreneurial class.