Dr. Mary Mazurek

Mary Mazurek, PhD, is a GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer, interdisciplinary artist, educator, and author of Aesthetic Noise: The Philosophy of Intentional Listening (Routledge, 2025). She received her nomination from The Recording Academy at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical for Liquid Melancholy: Clarinet Music of James Stephenson. Her engineering work is regularly featured on WFMT Radioand WFMT.com, with broadcasts heard across the U.S. and internationally through the European Broadcasting Union.

An advocate for women in the recording industry—currently less than 5% of the field—Mary serves as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chairperson for the Audio Engineering Society. She is a voting member of The Recording Academy, a past governor and task-force chair, and former president of the Engineering and Recording Society of Chicago. She is also a member of the exclusive DPA Master’s Club and an Educational Advisor for Leapwing Audio.

Mary began her career in 1992 at Universal Recording in Chicago. Her credits include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Kronos Quartet, Michael Feinstein, Howard Levy, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the New York Philharmonic. Her recordings appear on Cedille, Naxos, Delmark, MSR, and Sounds True, among others.

In addition to her audio career, Mary is an interdisciplinary artist whose sound/image-based work has been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Mexico, and Berlin. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College Chicago and a PhD in Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts. In addition to her audio recording work, her research explores the role of noise in aesthetics and intentional listening.

Website: marymazurek.com

Publications

Aesthetic Noise: The Philosophy of Intentional Listening (2025) Routledge.

“Everything Plus the Kitchen Sink: An Introduction to Noise in Contemporary Art and Music” (2022) AES

“Less Than 5% of Audio Engineers are Women: Here’s My Story” (2018) WFMT.com

Recordings

Expanding the Choral Canon Bella Voce – Andrew Lewis Artistic Director; Liza Calisesi Maidens, conductor (2024) Centaur

Symphony No.3, “Visions” James M. Stephenson, composer; Lake Forest Symphony; Vladimir Kulenovic, conductor (2022) Çedille

Liquid Melancholy – Clarinet Music of James M. Stephenson John Bruce Yeh, Lake Forest Symphony; Vladimir Kulenovic, conductor; Chicago Pro Musica; Alex Klein, Patric Godon (2019) Çedille

Radio Broadcasts & Livestreams

2024 Ravinia Festival Opening Night: Celebration of Americana The Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop, conductor; Michelle Cann, Piano (2024) WFMT Radio and CSO.org

Rush Hour Concerts: Kaia String Quartet (2025) Classical Music Chicago, live from St. James Cathedral, Chicago

Rush Hour Concerts: CSO Brass Quintet (2024) Classical Music Chicago, live from St. James Cathedral, Chicago

Podcasts

Working Class Audio #512 with Dr. Mary Mazurek (2024)

Modern Producer Secrets: Equalizing the Industry: Empowering Women in Audio (with Mary Mazurek)

Master Your Mix: Ep 97 Mary Mazurek – Mixing Through Mic Placement (2022)

Awards

Chicago DCASE Individual Artist Grant (2025)

Communicator Award of Distinction Category: Live Radio Broadcast Audio Producer, “The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Live From Ravinia” (2025)

Communicator Award of Excellence Category: Audio Production, “WFMT: Apollo’s Fire Road to Dublin”

Communicator Award of Excellence Category: Live Radio Broadcast Audio Producer, “The Chicago Symphony Orchestra from Ravinia, Marin Alsop, conductor; Stewart Goodyear, Piano” (2023)

Communicator Award of Excellence Category: Sound Editing, “Rancho La Puerta Tips for the Ranch” Podcast (2022)

GRAMMY Nomination Best Engineered Album Classical, Liquid Melancholy Clarinet Music of James M. Stephenson(2019)