Mark Levy is a distinguished musician and educator specializing in Balkan folk music, with expertise in instruments such as the gaida, clarinet, and zurla. In 1974, he pioneered the first week-long Balkan Music & Dance Workshop and co-founded the East European Folklife Center in the early 1980s. Holding a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, Mark retired from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where he taught ethnomusicology, coordinated a world music concert series, and directed the East European Folk Music Ensemble. His extensive fieldwork in Bulgaria and Macedonia has deeply influenced his performances with ensembles like AMAN Folk Ensemble, Pitu Guli, The Balkantones, Slavej, and Kef. ([sfdh.us](https://sfdh.us/encyclopedia/levy_m.html?utm_source=openai))