2020 MSM Virtual Percussion Summit

Grammy Award–winning percussionist Christopher Lamb has been hailed as a dynamic and versatile performer. His debut solo performance with the New York Philharmonic came with the World Premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto. Two more concertos; Water Percussion by Tan Dun and Echo Tempo by Susan Botti soon followed.  A Fulbright Scholar’s Award took Mr. Lamb to the Victorian College of the Arts in 1999 where he began teaching his course A Comprehensive Examination of Classical Percussion Training. He has been on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music since 1989.

 

She-e Wu has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as Philadelphia Orchestra, performed at numerous festivals including the Bach Symposium/Variation Festival at Lincoln Center and at institutions internationally. Ms. Wu has composed works for percussion, released various recordings, commissioned new works, designed mallets and instruments, held symposiums, adjudicated competitions worldwide and serves on the Board of Advisors for Percussive Arts Society. Professor Wu is the director of percussion program at Northwestern University, frequent artist teacher at the Royal College of Music in London and consultant at Manhattan School of Music.

Duncan Patton was principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 33 years, and has been on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music since 1989. In addition to his work as a performer and educator, he is also a composer, and author of the acclaimed book “The Artist Timpanist.”

Kyle Zerna has been assistant timpanist and percussionist with the New York Philharmonic since 2010.

He is on faculty at Manhattan School of Music and has also taught at Rutgers University. Kyle also enjoys DJing and collecting records.

 

Steven Schick Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick was born in Iowa and raised in a farming family.  He was hailed by Alex Ross in the New Yorker as, “one of our supreme living virtuosos, not just of percussion but of any instrument.” Steven Schick is Distinguished Professor of Music and is the inaugural holder of the Reed Family Presidential Chair at the University of California, San Diego. He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2014.

 

Stefon Harris’s passionate artistry and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him to the forefront of the jazz scene. The Los Angeles times acknowledge him as “one of the most important young artists in jazz.” He has earned four Grammy nominations, and has been named Best Mallet player seven times by the Jazz Journalist Association.  Mr. Harris is currently Director of Curriculum Development at the Brubeck Institute, Artistic Director of Jazz Education at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and Visiting Professor at Rutgers University, as well as teaching throughout the world through his Distance Learning Lab. He has been on the faculty of New York University for the past decade.

 

John Riley Critically acclaimed performer, author and teacher, John Riley has worked with the world’s leading Jazz musicians for over 40 years. A four-time GRAMMY award winner and 14-time nominee, John has played on hundreds of recordings and at major venues with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Bob Mintzer, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and many others.  John is the author of The Art of Bop Drumming, currently published in five languages, Beyond Bop Drumming, The Jazz Drummer’s Workshop and the DVD The Master Drummer.  John has a BM in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, 1975, and an MM in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music, 1985. He is on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music and Kutztown University, an Artist in Residence at the Amsterdam Conservatory in Holland and has given master classes around the world.

 

Named a “Rising Star” by Downbeat Magazine and a “Drummer Whose Time is Now” by the New York Times, Kendrick Scott is a premier drummer and composer of his generation.  As a performer, Scott has toured worldwide and recorded with a wide array of artists including Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, The Crusaders, Joshua Redman, Robert Glasper, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, and Terence Blanchard.  As a composer, Kendrick’s pieces have been played on Grammy winning records and has won a 2017 Chamber Music of America New Works Grant funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. NPR calls his works, “Sprawling, cinematic compositions.”

Mike Perdue is a composer, percussionist, and operations manager in New York City. His career as a performer spans numerous genres and settings, including chamber music, orchestra, solo percussion, and drum corps. As a chamber player, Perdue has appeared with New York groups Tactus and Ensemble Mise-En, Atlanta’s Sonic Generator, and Alia Musica Pittsburgh. He was a main stage evening concert soloist at the 2005 PASIC convention in Columbus, Ohio. As a composer, he has received commissions from the RighteousGIRLS duo Gina Izzo and Erika Dohi, marimbist She-e Wu, the 2012 Acht Brücken festival in Cologne, and the Norway-based NorthArc Percussion.

Jude Traxler is an experimental and conceptual artist living in NYC. Directing the historic MSM percussion ensemble with Mike Perdue, Jude has spent his career creating and curating musical works that push the listener in new corners of the avant-garde.

Vadim Karpinos, joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001 as the Percussion/Assistant Principal Timpani.  Vadim has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Chicago Symphony and has performed with many orchestras. He is an adjunct faculty member at Roosevelt University and serves on the board of advisors to The New Music School in Chicago.

Steven White joined the MET Orchestra as a percussionist and assistant timpanist in February 2017. He also holds the position of Principal Percussion of the Classical Tahoe Festival in Incline Village, NV. Steven is an active collaborator and clinician, with recent engagements at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Twickenham Fest. (Huntsville, AL)

Alan Stewart is the Associate Principal Percussionist of the St. Louis Symphony. Alan is also an avid freelance percussionist, performing with orchestras throughout the US, including the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. Past summer engagements have included summer engagements with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, the Cabrillo Music Festival, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra.

Matt Prendergast has been Principal Percussionist of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra since 2009.  As guest principal percussion, Matt has performed with several orchestras, including the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.

Shaun Trubiano joined the Opera Australia Orchestra as Principal Percussion in 2011 at the Sydney Opera House.  Previously a Fellow with the New World Symphony Orchestra, Shaun has performed with the Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, toured nationally with New Zealand Symphony and with Australian World Orchestra.

Sean Ritenauer enjoys a diverse career performing in concert halls, theaters and studios in New York City and around the world.  Sean performs frequently with the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and all over Broadway.  Sean is the Principal Percussionist of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra where he was recently featured playing Andy Akiho’s Percussion Concerto.  In addition to maintaining a studio in New York City, Sean teaches at Hofstra University and is the Co-Director of Hofstra University Percussion Summer Seminar. (HUPSS)

Wilson Torres Broadway credits include Tony and Grammy Award winning musical “In the Heights”, “Les Misérables” (25th anniversary revival), “Lysistrata Jones”, “The Wiz” (Encores),“On Your Toes” (Encores), “Cabin in the Sky” (Encores) and more. Tours: “Lion King” (1st National), “Lion King” (Cheetah) and “Wicked” (1st National). Orchestral credits include San Francisco Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Staten Island Symphony and Albany Symphony. Film/TV: Smash, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Oceans 8, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Fosse/Verdon, West Side Story and In The Heights.

Andrew Blanco is currently a percussionist and assistant conductor for West Side Story on Broadway. He has performed with 22 different Broadway productions as well as with the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, and the American Symphony Orchestra. Andy is currently on faculty at Queens College.

Marc Damoulakis is the Principal Percussionist of The Cleveland Orchestra.  Throughout his career, Marc has performed and recorded as a guest artist with many major orchestras and has participated at various chamber music festivals. Mr. Damoulakis is Co-Chair of the Percussion department at the Cleveland Institute of Music and has led masterclasses and clinics throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Matt Decker joined the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 2016.  Prior to the SSO, he spent two seasons in the North Carolina Symphony and was also a fellow of the New World Symphony.  He has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, and Sun Valley Symphony. Matt is on faculty at the Eastern Music Festival.

Joe Kelly is the Assistant Timpanist/Section Percussionist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.  Before joining the TSO he spent one season as a percussion fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida.  Joe is also an alumnus of the Lucerne Festival Academy and the Tanglewood Music Center.

David Cossin His interest in classical percussion, drum set, non-western hand drumming, composition, and improvisation has led to performances across a broad spectrum of musical and artistic forms. David has recorded and performed internationally with Steve Reich and Musicians, Philip Glass, Yo-Yo Ma, Meredith Monk, Tan Dun, Cecil Taylor, Talujon Percussion Quartet, and the trio Real Quiet, as well as with Sting on his Symphonicity world tour. Theater work includes Blue Man Group, Mabou Mines, and projects with the director Peter Sellars. David was featured as the solo percussionist in Tan Dun’s award-winning score to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras throughout the world including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestra Radio France, and more. His sonic installations have been presented in New York, Italy and Germany, and he is also an active composer and instrument inventor, expanding the limits of traditional percussion. David teaches percussion at the Aaron Copland School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music’s Contemporary Performance Program.

Described as “trailblazing” (LA Times) and “an imaginative composer” (NY Times), recent Rome Prize winner, Andy Akiho has had performances and commissions by the world’s leading ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony, LA Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella, San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox, Oregon Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic’s Scharoun Ensemble, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Concert, and LA Dance Project.

Gregory Beyer Fulbright Scholar, composer, educator, and percussionist Gregory Beyer blends the disciplines of orchestral, jazz, and world music into a singular artistic voice. He is Artistic Director of Arcomusical, an organization dedicated to the Afro-Brazilian berimbau. Arcomusical has released two albums, MeiaMeia, (2016, Innova Recordings)  featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, and Spinning in the Wheel (2019, National Sawdust Tracks). Beyer is Director of Percussion Studies at Northern Illinois University, and member of the Grossman Ensemble.

Projeto Arcomusical is a world music sextet reimagining the Afro-Brazilian berimbau through unique and powerful chamber music.  The ensemble formed in 2013 specifically to interpret MeiaMeia, the composition cycle co-composed by ensemble co-founders Gregory Beyer and Alexis C. Lamb.  Arcomusical released MeiaMeia as its first album in 2016 on Innova Recordings.  That same year Arcomusical received a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant that produced “Roda.” the kaleidoscopic, twenty-minute, four-movement work by Elliot Cole.

Juan Diego Villalobos, born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, started his studies at the age of 8 at Don Angel Mottola School of Music, then at the Simon Bolivar Music Conservatory and also with pianist Gerry Weil in Caracas.  He has played as a classical percussionist at the Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Mr. Villalobos has participated in many festivals throughout Europe, Asia, Mexico and the US as a classical/Afro-Venezuelan percussionist and vibraphonist. He has also performed with many great artists such as Sting, Lang Lang, Gustavo Dudamel, Residente, Paquito D ́Rivera, among others. He was a special guest on Miguel Siso ́s album “Identidad” which won a Latin Grammy as the best “Instrumental Music album” in 2018. He is a currently in the Jazz Studies program at Manhattan School of Music.

Marcelina Suchocka is a Percussion Fellow at the New World Symphony. She has performed as a percussionist with the Chicago Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Utah Symphony. She has also performed as a concerto soloist with the Chicago Symphony. Ms. Suchocka has spent summers as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Pacific Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra and Spoleto Festival.

Kevin Ritenauer is currently a fellow at the New World Symphony and has also performed as extra with The Cleveland Orchestra, and The National Symphony, among others. Mr. Ritenauer was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and Music Academy of the West.

Waichi Champion is a percussionist and educator based in Dallas, Texas. She has performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Spectrum Ensemble and International Chamber Artists of Chicago. She is a former member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.  Ms. Champion has also won numerous awards in solo marimba competitions including the Southern California Marimba Competition, the PASIC solo competition and the Great Plains Marimba Competition.

Suyin Tan joined the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra as a sub-principal percussionist in 2019.

Prior to that, she was active as a performer and educator in the region.

 

Clara Warnaar A frequent collaborator with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Clara Warnaar has premiered and recorded the music of Ted Hearne, Missy Mazzoli, Steve Reich, and Ellen Reid.

Clara’s creative work can be heard on recordings with her band Infinity Shred, of which she’s the drummer, as well as on her own releases.

Riley Barnes received first place for Division I for the 2019 Modern Snare Drum Competition and was a member of Texas Music Festival and Eastern Music Festival.