Marco Panascia (pronounced: pana-SEE-ah) is an accomplished freelance bassist born in Italy and residing in New York City since 2002. A dual citizen of Italy and the United States, Panascia is celebrated for his versatility across multiple music genres. His strong doubling skills on the acoustic and the electric basses have earned him global praise and recognition. Currently a member of Lea DeLaria’s working band, Panascia has made a name for himself by being featured in the groups of several jazz luminaries, such as Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Kevin Mahogany, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Eric Reed, Dado Moroni, Alvin Queen, Bobby Watson, Peter Bernstein, Tamir Hendelman, Christian Sands, Claudio Roditi, Sheryl Bailey and Dan Wilson. He has performed at prestigious venues and festivals worldwide, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Central Park SummerStage, Umbria Jazz, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

Panascia first gained significant international acclaim during his tenure with jazz piano sensation Eldar Djangirov, with whom he performed extensively on three continents. Their collaboration resulted in two highly regarded album releases on the Sony BMG Masterworks label: "Live at the Blue Note", and "re-imagination", the latter earning a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2008.

Panascia’s performance credits on acoustic and electric bass include some of the most highly regarded artists on the contemporary jazz scene and beyond, such as Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Seamus Blake, Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Greg Hutchinson, Lewis Nash, Matt Wilson, Victor Lewis, Nasheet Waits, Helen Sung, Clarence Penn, Ulysses Owens and Francesco Cafiso. A dynamic and sought-after performer, Panascia’s musical versatility extends beyond jazz into a range of genres, leading to a collaboration with contemporary classical ensemble “Alarm Will Sound”, and performances with prominent pop and R&B groups and artists, including “Postmodern Jukebox”, Randy Rainbow, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Holliday and Brian McKnight. In early 2020, Panascia toured in Canada and the United States with the award-winning Italian operatic pop trio, “Il Volo”, selling out major venues such as Radio City Music Hall. He is also a first-call bassist in the world of musical theater, having subbed regularly for over a dozen successful Broadway productions in Manhattan, such as “Wicked” and Disney's "The Lion King" and “Frozen”, and being a featured musician in the groundbreaking Off-Broadway show "Sleep No More" for five years. His innovative bass playing has also made an impact online, with his YouTube channel garnering over 1.5 million views since its inception.

Mentored by Los Angeles studio electric bass legends Carol Kaye and Nathan East, and by classical double bass maestros Nello Nicotra and Bertram Turetzky, Panascia was the first prize winner of the 1998 Edinburgh International Double Bass competition in Scotland. After moving to the United States, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, as a full tuition scholarship recipient. Currently an adjunct faculty member at the New School University in Manhattan, Panascia frequently conducts clinics and masterclasses across the United States and internationally. Recent teaching engagements have included the Rochester Bass Retreat and the Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York; the SC Double Bass Conference at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina; the USU Guitar and Bass Festival at Utah State University in Logan, Utah; and the Bass Fest at the State University of New York in Fredonia, New York.

Aside from being featured as a sideman on more than 50 recordings, Panascia has released "Bass Duo Live", an album documenting a live concert with Dario Deidda, one of Italy's most celebrated jazz musicians, on a swinging and highly conversational acoustic/electric bass duo performance. The album is available on Bandcamp, both in physical and digital form.

Marco Panascia plays a Grand Panormo double bass by Barrie Kolstein, and is endorsed by Markbass amplifiers and basses, Mike Lull custom electric basses, Benevolent basses, Alter Ego Basso, D'Addario Strings, Lindy Fralin pickups, and NinoMute products.