Marc Ongley

Marc Ongley (born 13 December 1952) is an Australian classical and jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher. He lived in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2019. Born in Maitland, New South Wales, he became the first Australian to be awarded the Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music, London (LTCL) and the Fellowship of the Trinity College of Music London (FTCL), in 1974 and 1977 respectively. The Sydney Morning Herald described Ongley as "one of Australia's finest classical guitarists". Ongley studied with the renowned Australian music educator Don Andrews and famous classical guitarists Alirio Diaz and Turibio Santos, students of Andrés Segovia. He recorded and released several classical and jazz albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s. More recently, Ongley released albums in the genres of blues and rock.

Career Marc Ongley started his career as a rock guitarist in the band Maya, from Newcastle, New South Wales. The group was an opening act for the Beach Boys at two concerts during their 1970 tour of Australia. Maya finished fourth in Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in 1970 at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney.

Ongley's first transcription for solo guitar was published in 1973 by J. Albert and Son, an interpretation of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise".

In 1979 Ongley performed for the Australian High Commissioner, Gordon Freeth, at Australia House, London, playing the piece "Cello Suite No.1" by Johann Sebastian Bach. His first public professional performance in the UK took place on 6 September 1981 at the Wigmore Hall, London. This concert received attention in the Australian press. The Sydney Morning Herald noted that "Australia, with a few exceptions such as John Williams, is not known for its classical guitarists" and therefore it was a "high honour" for Ongley to perform at the Wigmore Hall. The 1994 edition of The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD rated the album 3 stars, describing Ongley as "a decent writer in a romantic vein. The title piece and 'My Funny Valentine' are both nice performances, but he's probably at his best in a medium tempo...Respectably produced as well".

Education Ongley gained a Licentiate (1974) and Fellowship (1977) in the discipline of music, awarded in Sydney by an international examiner from the Trinity College of Music, London. He studied with Don Andrews and two renowned students of Andrés Segovia: Alirio Diaz and Turibio Santos.

Discography

Title Year Release type Cantabile for Strings 1974 Single The Marc Ongley Jazz Quartet ‘A Day at Abbey Road, Pt.2’ 1993 EP Guitar Recital 1998 Album Gentle Rain 1998 Album Moonlight Sonata 2000 Album When I’m Sixty-Four 2000 Single Symphony No.1 in C Major ‘Alpha’ 2002 Single String Quartet No.1 in C Major ‘Spifire’ 2002 Single Guitar Recital 2 2002 Album You Are the Sunshine of My Life 2002 Album The Awakening 2008 Album Where I Could Not Follow 2013 Single Summer Song 2013 Single When Two Worlds Meet (feat. George Golla) 2013 Single The Marc Ongley Jazz Quartet ‘A Day at Abbey Road’ 2013 EP The Girl from Ipanema 2014 Album Twenty First Century Blues 2014 Album New Guitar Concerto 2018 - Concerto pour Laube 2018 Single My Music For Classical Guitar 2018 Album My Latin and Swing Tunes 2018 Album Lullaby for Jess 2018 Single Till There Was You 2019 Single Symphony No.2 in F Major ‘Spring’ 2020 Single Ten Thousand Miles 2021 Album How High the Moon 2022 Album Swing Along 2022 Album Solaris 2022 Album African Adventure 2022 Album Autumn in the Valley 2022 Album In a Musical Moment 2022 Album Touches of Spain 2022 Album Purple 2023 Album Steel Spring 2023 Album My Duets for Guitar and Other Stringed Instruments 2023 Album Pure 2023 Album My Jazz Ballads 2023 Album My Music for Flute and Guitar 2023 Album Train Ride 2023 Album July 2023 Album Free Falling 2023 Album Native American 2023 Album Inner Space 2023 Album Nylon String Blues 2023 Album Me and My Guitar 2023 Album Romance 2023 Album Ninety Five Degrees 2023 Album Summer Rise 2023 Album Waves in the Sand 2023 Album Classic Improvisations 2024 Album Classic Improvisations, Pt. 2 2024 Album Sailing 2024 Album An Intimate Space 2024 Album In the Live Room 2024 Album Merci Beaucoup 2024 Album I Wonder 2024 Album Mosaic 2024 Album In the Positive 2024 Album Rainbow 2024 Album Más España 2024 Album Festa de Rua 2024 Album Nineteen Sixty Eight 2024 Album Feliz 2024 Album Espana 2024 Album Shades of Django 2024 Album Contemporary Classical Classical Improvisations 2024 Album My Jazz Waltzes 2024 Album Inspiration from Brazil 2024 Album The Old Bridge 2024 Album Electric October 2024 Album Chasing the Rainbow 2024 Album Majestic Sunset 2024 Album Canzone 2024 Album C’est 12 2024 Album Diversão 2024 Album Spring in the Valley 2024 Album Acoustic Journey 2024 Album Blues 72 2024 Album Mysterious Island 2024 Album Just for Johnny 2024 Album Out of Somewhere 2024 Album In the Mid Distance 2025 Album Weekend Chill 2025 Album Solitude 2025 Album The Church 2025 Album Molto Bella 2025 Album Singing Octaves 2025 Album Ad Libitum 2025 Album Le doux reve 2025 Album Latin Afternoon 2025 Album Down by the Lake 2025 Album Atmospheric 2025 Album 100 Times Over 2025 Album Symphony No. 3 in Bb Major ‘The Jazz’, Symphony No. 4 in D Minor ‘Winter’ 2025 Album Sextet in D Major - Quintet in F Major 2025 Album Expo 88 2025 Album Delightful Jazz Duets 2025 Album Musings 2025 Album Electric Pursuit 2025 Album Luz do Dia 2025 Album Steel on Wood 2025 Album Up Close 2025 Album Just Solo 2025 Album In the Middle 2025 Album Unaltered 2025 Album Sunny Blue 2025 Album A Lovely Journey 2025 Album La Dolce Notte 2025 Album Up Jumped Summer 2025 Album

Books Guitar for Everyone Book 1 (London: Natural Light, 2000). Rock 'n' Blues: Guitar for Everyone (London, Natural Light, 2000). Guitar for Everyone Book 2 (London: Natural Light, 2001). Guitar for Everyone Book 3 (London: Natural Light, 2001). Guitar for Everyone: First Steps 5yrs + (London: Natural Light, 2006).