Mário Costa was born on January 7th, 1986, in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
Started his drum lessons at the age of eight, but already gripped the sticks since he had six years old. Studied classical percussion at Viana’s Professional School of Music, where he was introduced to XX Century Contemporary Composers like John Cage, Steve Reich, Iannis Xenakis, amongst others.
In 2004 entered in higher education, beginning his career as a jazz drummer in the city of Porto. He finished his graduation in Jazz - Drums at ESMAE - School of Music and Performing Arts in 2008 with Professor Michael Lauren, moving latter to New York where he had classes with some of the most renowned musicians in the Jazz scene.
In 2010 is invited by renowned concert hall “Casa da Música” to present a project, creating his group “Mário Costa – Homo Sapiens”, where begun his relationship with saxophonist Emile Parisien.
With the recording of double bassist Hugo Carvalhais’s albums “NEBULOSA” (CleanFeed 2010) and “PARTICULA” (CleanFeed 2012) Costa is introduced to the national and international critic and has the opportunity to collaborate and perform with saxophonists Tim Berne, Emile Parisien and Liudas Mockunas, pianist Gabriel Pinto and violinist Dominique Pifarély.
In 2015 he is invited to join the new project of European jazz revelation Emile Parisien, alongside the legendary Michel Portal and Joachim Kuhn, debuting this group at the acclaimed festival “Jazz in Marciac 2015”. In 2016 this project releases its first album " Sfumato" (ACT), awarded and acclaimed by international critics. This ensamble has since appeared in the most prestigious jazz festivals and venues in Europe, bringing together some of the most renowned musicians in the international scene such as: Wynton Marsalis, Bruno Chevillon, Daniel Humair, Manu Codjia, Vincent Peirani, Michael Wollny, Roberto Negro, Theo Ceccaldi, Bojan Z, Fabrice Martinez, Thomas de Pourquery, Géraldine Laurent, Simon Tailleu, Pierre Perchaud, among others.
In 2020 Costa joins the new quartet of acclaimed British saxophonist Andy Sheppard
His OXY PATINA album (Cleanfeed 2018), recorded with Marc Ducret on guitar and Benoit Delbecq on piano and electronics; his debut as a composer, which, in addition to numerous international reviews, received the five stars by Jazz.pt magazine which awarded him the titles of “best album of the year” and “national jazz musician of the year”. Now, in the very beginning of 2023, it is time for Mário Costa’s sophomore take on his more personal and authorial project. The new album is titled CHROMOSOME, named after Costa’s rigorous and custom-made writing, considering the DNA of each one of the musicians that he carefully handpicked for the project: Cuong VU, Benoît Delbecq and Bruno Chevillon.
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During his career is invited to integrate and play with various projects and bands like Ensemble Super Modern, Orquestra de Jazz de Matosinhos, “(Chirs) Corsano – (Jorge) Queijo – (Mário) Costa”, Gileno Santana - “Metamorphose”, Emile Parisien Quartet, Carlos Azevedo, Sérgio Carolino, Jeffery Davis, and with renown portuguese music composers Miguel Araujo, António Zambujo and Fado singer Ana Moura, with whom he has performed over 600 concerts in the world tour for the Album “Desfado” (2012) and “Moura” (2015)
Mário performed in venues amongst which Carnegie Hall (NYC), Berlin Philharmonie, Sydney Opera House, Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Berklee Performance Center (USA), Barbican Center (UK), Town Hall (NYC), SFJAZZ Center (USA), Royal Opera House Muscat (Sultanate of Oman), Napa Valley Opera House (EUA), Sala Paradiso (Amsterdam), Opera Nationala Romana (Romania), El Lunario (México City), Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo (Bogotá), Sala da Cidade das Artes (Rio de Janeiro), Sala Palatului (Bucharest), Philharmonie Luxembourg , Philarmonie Cologne