Mark Stoffel is a mandolinist, recording artist, and instructor based in Southern Illinois. Originally from Munich, Germany, he spent years traveling between Europe and the United States before making Southern Illinois his home in 2001. Known for his expressive playing, musical versatility, and longtime work with Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Mark has built a respected career as a performer, recording artist, and collaborator.

Originally from Munich, Germany, Mark spent decades traveling between Europe and the United States before settling in Southern Illinois in 2001 with his wife, Mary, and their children, Finn and Oliver. In 2016, he became a U.S. citizen, making his decision to call America home official.

A self-described bluegrass music addict, Mark’s journey with the mandolin began by accident. As a teenager in 1979, he asked for a ukulele for Christmas but was mistakenly given a mandolin instead. What started as a mix-up became a lifelong passion. With the help of a classic mandolin instruction book, exposure to bluegrass through radio and live performances, and experience playing in folk, rock, and bluegrass bands, Mark developed the foundation for his musical career.

During those years, he began building connections with American musicians by helping arrange tour dates and offering hospitality to touring artists, including Chris Jones, who would later become a key part of his professional journey. As Mark spent more time in the United States, his tasteful playing, growing sound engineering skills, and strong harmony vocals earned him recognition. He first performed with regional acts, then with Sally Jones, and eventually joined Chris Jones & the Night Drivers around the time of the band’s 2009 recording, Cloud of Dust.

Today, Mark’s mandolin playing can be heard on numerous recordings, most prominently his three solo releases One-O-Five (2008), Coffee & Cake (2020), and True Tones (2024), in addition to numerous Chris Jones & the Night Drivers albums, including Run Away Tonight (2015), Made to Move (2017), The Choosing Road (2019), Make Each Second Last (2022), and Pages in your Hand (2023).

Despite his deep love of bluegrass music, Mark often jokes that he is ironically highly allergic to Kentucky bluegrass.