Marcus Thompson has been described as the leading African-American faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Thompson, an internationally acclaimed violist, is the first person to hold the Robert P. Taylor Professorship at MIT, a chair established in 1995 to honor the first African-American graduate from the school. Taylor, who graduated from MIT in 1892, became a distinguished American architect.

Thompson joined the faculty at MIT in 1973, after having directed the Aeolians at Oakwood College from 1970-1971, and having taught at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. He has served as a visiting professor at Eastman School of Music and, since 1983, has also taught viola at the New England Conservatory of Music.

In 1998, The Aurelius Ensemble was formed at MIT to honor Thompson's 25 years of mentoring and educating musicians at the school and for his work with the MIT Chamber Music Society, an organization he founded in his first year at the institute. The AE since its founding has been a popular ensemble that has given several standing-room-only concerts.

Thompson has soloed with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, National Symphony, and Boston Pops orchestras. A recitalist who has performed in most of the significant venues in the U.S., he has also been featured internationally as a guest with leading chamber ensembles in numerous concerts and festivals.

Thompson, a native of the Bronx, New York, began violin study at age six. He progressed rapidly and at age 14 was accepted at The Juilliard School of Music as a scholarship student. He completed a B.M. in1967, an M.S. in 1968, and a D.M.A. in 1973, all in violin and viola performance.

ds 2006