Performing Artists, Groups & Educators

Duo Sá de Percussão

The Duo Sá de Percussão is assembled by the siblings Pedro and Janaína Sá. Since 2004, they actively participate in the Brazilian chamber music scene and in distinguished international percussion events. In 2015, they performed as Artists in PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention), playing in the International Showcase Concert, in San Antonio, Texas (EUA), the largest and most prestigious percussion "event" in the world, and obtained renowed compliments from important percussion personalities, such as Ney Rosauro, Michael Udow, Stanley Leonard, Joe Locke, Thomas Akins and many others. Due to the presentation success in Texas, Percussive Arts Society invited them again for PASIC in 2016, in Indianapolis, where they gave a Clinic-Symphonic lecture about Percussion in Villa-Lobos. The Duo Sá also contributed by writing the article "Percussion Instruments Used by Villa-Lobos" for the periodical Percussive Notes, from Indianapolis, the most well regarded percussion magazine in the world. 

Amongst many relevant artistic accomplishments from Duo Sá, they performed on the P.A.S. Day in Brazil (Percussive Arts Society/Brazil Chapter) in Unicamp, in International Percussion Festival in Tatuí, in International Percussion Festival in UFF in Niterói, in the Gala Concert from the 25th International Brazilian Colonial Music and Ancient Music Festival in Juiz de Fora, in the Interview/Recital for the program “Partituras” from TV-Brasil, in the Lecture/Concert in the 36th International Music Festival in  Londrina and, recently, the Duo interpreted the emblematic Béla Bartók's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion with the Duo Bretas-Kevorkian, at the Sala Cecília Meireles, Rio de Janeiro.

The Duo also commission works to composers, contributing in this manner to the constant development and expansion of the repertoire for this formation. The piece Eventvm V, from Fred Carrilho (awarded in the Contest of Classical Composition from Funarte - National Arts Foundation - in 2014), was comissioned by the Duo to the composer, which wrote it and dedicated it to the Duo. The siblings Sá performed the world premiere of this piece at the Contemporary Brazilian Music Biannual in 2015, in Rio de Janeiro. In 2017, Duo Sá made a world première of Hoodoos Images, comissioned by the duo to Michael Udow, who also write it and dedicated it to the Duo. The premiere was at the Música de Primeira chamber music Series, in Rio de Janeiro.

Duo Sá de Percussão is proudly an Artist/Endorser-Clinician from Encore Mallets, Inc., Adams Percussion, Black Swamp Percussion and Sabian Cymbals, using these musical instruments and mallets in all of their artistic, teaching and recording projects.

Tambuco Percussion Ensemble

With 20 years of international concerts and the recording of an original repertoire, Tambuco Percussion Ensemble has celebrated an acclaimed career, establishing itself among the finest percussion quartets today. Audiences throughout the world have enjoyed the musicianship of  Tambuco in programs devoted exclusively to show a vast universe of percussion music.

Four time GRAMMY Nominees including Best Classical Album, Tambuco, was founded in 1993 by four distinguished Mexican musicians and is ranked among the finest and most innovative in the world. These four musicians refuse to be tied down to one style, with a repertoire ranging from structuralist percussion music to a wide range of ethnic drum music and avante garde sound interpretation. The one constant is their desire for perfection and unique, virtuoso performance. 

The musicians of "Tambuco" use all conceivable and inconceivable means to realize their musical ideas. Tambuco has been awarded with many distinctions and prizes from cultural organizations in Mexico and abroad. Tambuco has offered concerts in five continents. They have performed in the USA (Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center), Tokyo (Ino Hall), London (Barbican Centre), Paris and Montpellier (Festival de Radio France), Germany (Berliner Festspiele),Australia (Quennsland Music Festival) plus concerts in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia Cuba, Colombia, Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina and Canada, as well as practically all of Mexico's concert halls.

One of Tambuco's most important activities is collaboration. As solo ensemble, Tambuco has performed and recorded with musicians, ensembles and orchestras such as Keiko Abe, Stewat Copeland, Eduardo Mata, Valerie Naranjo, Nanae Yoshimura, Kifu Mitsuhashi, Kronos Quartet, The Michael Nyman Band, Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Orquesta Sinfónica de Guanajuato, , La Camerata, Orchestra de Catania and Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, amongst many, many others. To date, Tambuco has recorded eight CDs. Its most recent album: Carlos Chavez Complete Chamber Music, received three GRAMMY nominations: Best Classical Album, Best Small Chamber Ensemble and Best Classical Latin Album. It's Album "Rítmicas", was selected by Audiophile Audition as one of the best CDs of the year . Tambuco recorded also with Kronos Quartet on their Grammy nominated album “Nuevo”.

JOINT VENTURE PERCUSSION DUO

Since Joint Venture Percussion Duo won the Bernard Haitink Prize during the 2011 edition of the Vriendenkrans Competition of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, they had the chance to be guests at some of the most prestigious concert halls, such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Luxembourg’s Philharmonie and Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.

The collaboration between Rachel Xi Zhang (China) and Laurent Warnier (Luxembourg) has since then, reflected a blend of cultural and musical influences. Coming from vastly contrasting backgrounds, they found common ground through percussion, fusing ideologies to form the uniquely international duo that they are today.

They made their Double Concerto debut with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, following appearances with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra, the City of Southampton Orchestra (GB), the Musique Militaire Grand-Ducale (L) and the European Union Youth Wind Orchestra.

Besides, Rachel and Laurent were a featured duo at such diverse events as the Big Bang International Percussion Festival (NL), Zeltsman Marimba Festival (USA), the International Marimba Festival Tabasco (MX) and the International Percussion Festival of Luxembourg.

Their Debut recording Ravel - Dances and Fairytales which was released by the BIS label gained high critical acclaim, being called "A treat for audiophiles and percussion fanciers alike; a duo to watch". (Music Web) and “…(their) transcriptions … convey some incredibly tender and emotional moments." (Pizzicato Magazine)

The Duo constantly strives to contribute to the field of contemporary music, and to date have premiered new compositions written for them by composers from China, Luxembourg, U.S.A., Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Israel, Great Britain and Uzbekistan.

Rachel and Laurent are Marimba One marimba endorsers, currently based between Amsterdam (NL) and Luxembourg (LU).

Rachel Xi Zhang

As a soloist, half of " Joint Venture Percussion Duo " and the sextet " Looptail ”, she is actively performing on world-class stages home and abroad. Her duo and herself were awarded multiple renowned international rewards including but not limited to, from the Princess Christina Concours, the Vriendenkrans Concours and the Het Debuut Concours. She is also a recipient of a grant of the Bernard Haitink Fund and the Emerging Artists Grant by the St. Botolph Club Foundation. Their Debut recording Ravel - Dances and Fairytales which was released by the BIS label gained high critical acclaim, and has been nominated for the 2017 International Classical Music Awards.

She teaches marimba at Conservatorium van Amsterdam since 2015, she was invited as a performer and lecturer on various marimba festivals, such as the Percussion Festival of the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing, China; International Marimba Festival in Mexico; Zeltsman Marimba Festival in U.S.; Samobor Music Festival in Croatia.

During her performing tour to Netherlands on 2011, she joined the “Looptail”, a sextet chamber music ensemble, as percussionist. Rachel received her Bachelors degree in 2010, graduating with honors from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam where she studied with Jan Pustjens, Peter Prommel, Nick Woud, Victor Oskam, Gustavo Gimeno, Mark Braafhart, Arnold Marinissen and Lorenzo Ferrandiz. She continued her studies at Boston Conservatory under worldwide renowned marimba artist Nancy Zeltsman, where she received not only the masters degree but also the artist diploma. Rachel was born in Harbin, China on 1987. At the age of 3, she started learning piano and appeared on stage at age 6. After moving to Shenzhen with her family in 1996, she began studying marimba and piano under Song Yin and Wa Li. During her study in Shenzhen Arts School, she had attended various competitions and won prizes for her excellent performances on piano and marimba. Rachel endorses Marimba One marimbas, currently based in Amsterdam (NL).

Matt Sharrock

Matt is a vibrant musician whose performances have been hailed as “eloquent” (San Francisco Chronicle), “sumptuous” (Boston Globe), “gorgeously lyrical” (Pittsburgh Gazette), and he is considered one of "Boston's best percussionists" (I Care if You Listen). 

Along with clarinetist Amy Advocat, Matt tirelessly champions the music of living composers as with Transient Canvas. Since their founding in 2011, TC has premiered over 80 pieces for bass clarinet and marimba, tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and sponsors and annual paid Composition Fellowship Program that is free and open to composers of all ages. They have released two albums on New Focus Recordings: Wired, “a must-add to any new music lover’s library” according to I Care If You Listen, and Sift, which KLANG New Music called “one of the more refreshing things I’ve heard in recent years.”

In demand as a chamber musician, Matt is the resident percussionist with Ensemble/Parallax and the Chameleon Arts Ensemble and has performed with the Lydian String Quartet, Boston Musica Viva, Sound Icon, the Lorelei Ensemble, and with cellist Andrés Díaz at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival. He is also a founding member of the Boston Percussion Group and the mixed quartet Hinge. As an orchestral percussionist, Matt can be heard regularly with the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the Orchestra of Indian Hill, and he has performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and Symphony New Hampshire, among others. He has recorded as a soloist, conductor, chamber musician, and orchestra musician on BMOP/sound, Innova, Navona, New Focus Recordings, and Ravello Records.

A passionate educator, Matt teaches music theory and liberal arts at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music in addition to teaching applied percussion at Bunker Hill Community College. He regularly presents masterclasses across the U.S. with recent engagements at Chapman University, East Carolina University, University of Missouri Columbia, and the University of Kansas. Dedicated to working with student composers, Transient Canvas was ensemble-in-residence with The Boston Conservatory High School Composition Intensive from 2013-17 and has held residencies with the composition departments at Harvard, Brandeis, Tufts, and Northeastern Universities, the Dancz Center for New Music at the University of Georgia, Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, North Carolina NewMusic Initiative, Charlotte New Music Festival, Divergent Studio at Longy School of Music, and the Alba Music Festival Composition Program in Alba, Italy.

Matt holds an M.M. in Marimba Performance from The Boston Conservatory and a B.M. in Music Performance (Percussion) from Baldwin Wallace University. His primary teachers include Nancy Zeltsman and Jack Van Geem (marimba); Keith Aleo, Josh Ryan, and Sam Solomon (percussion); John Grimes (timpani), Sharan Leventhal (chamber music), and Dwight Oltman (conducting).

Matt proudly endorses Marimba One and Encore Mallets.

Laurent Warnier

Percussionist Laurent Warnier is best known as half of the Joint Venture Percussion Duo, in which he performs with Xi Zhang of China. Together they performed in the United States, Mexico, China and many European countries; at the Vriendenkrans Concours of the Concertgebouw in 2011, they were recipients of the prestigious Bernard Haitink Price and embarked on a series of concerts throughout the finest halls of The Netherlands, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. The Duo has performed as concerto soloists with orchestras such as the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (CN), City of Southampton Orchestra (GB) and European Union Youth Wind Orchestra (L) and released their first album on the BIS label in 2016. Born in Luxembourg, Laurent Warnier is a active free lance musician in both The Netherlands and Luxembourg. Sine 2017, he is a professor of percussion at the Conservatoire de Luxembourg (L). He holds a bachelor degree from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (NL) and a Masters and Artist diploma from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee (USA) Laurent plays marimba one marimbas.

 Michael J. Jones

Michael is a marimbist, percussionist, and music educator based in Dallas, TX. He is a Creative Co-director of Heartland Marimba and performing artist of the Heartland Marimba Quartet (HMQ), a dynamic ensemble focused on refined performances of contemporary works by American Composers. The inaugural HMQ tour took place in March 2017 with performances at venues throughout Iowa and Minnesota, with biannual tours to follow each spring and fall. Michael is currently a faculty member at the annual Marimba Madness Summer Percussion Camp in Richardson, Texas as well as the annual Heartland Marimba Festival and maintains a large studio of private students grades 6-12.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Music in percussion/music education from Southern Methodist University, Master of Music in percussion performance from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Graduate Performance Diploma in Marimba Performance at The Boston Conservatory. He also had the honor of studying in Japan for a summer with world-renowned marimba artist Keiko Abe and performing at Yamaha Hall and Toho Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo. Michael’s primary instructors include Keith Aleo, Doug Howard, Drew Lang, Kalman Cherry, Akie Takada, Brian Zator, and Nancy Zeltsman.

Recent notable performances include Keiko Abe’s Reflections on Japanese Children’s Songs III at the 2016 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), a recording and performance of David Dzubay’s Producing for a While with Dallas-based contemporary music ensemble “Voices of Change,” and regular concerts with the Dallas Wind Symphony. Previously, at the 2010 PASIC, Michael premiered Jonathan Ovalle’s "Epic Proportions" for marimba, drum set, and percussion ensemble with the Texas A&M University – Commerce Percussion Ensemble. Other solo and chamber appearances include performances at Humboldt State University, Colorado State University, University of Iowa, Yamaha Hall in Tokyo, and the Boston Summer Arts Weekend in Copley Square. Michael is proudly endorsed by Encore Mallets, Beetle Percussion, and Marimba One. 

CAROLINA ALCARAZ

Miss Alcaraz is an outstanding percussionist in the international field, both for her concert and didactic work, and for being part of the jury of the most prestigious international competitions.
Her extensive concert career has led her to perform in Spain, France, Italy, Finland, Belgium, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and the United States.
Alcaraz has performed as a soloist with the Cordoba Orchestra, Murcia Region Symphony Orchestra, Elche Symphony Orchestra, UNKO Finland, University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and percussion groups ESCLATS, KONTAKTE and OJA. She has a major teaching role with the Young National Orchestra of Spain, the Youth Orchestra of Andalusia and the Young Orchestra of Cordoba, as well as various training courses, specialization and high performance, in Spain and abroad.

Director of "ConUCOpercusión", international percussion competition in Córdoba. Percussion coordinator at the International Piano Festival "Guadalquivir Pianístico". She has been awared of St. Thomas de Aquino, recognition by the University of Cordoba for her cultural work in the city.

Representative of Spain in "Marimba2010" of the United States.1st Prize of the "Torneo Internazionale di Musica 2002" (Tarascon, France).
Renowned composers such as Juan de Dios García Aguilera, José Luis Turina, Leo Brouwer and Igmar Alderete Acosta, have dedicated different works to her.
Alcaraz has made several recordings for the National Radio of Spain and has recorded the "Concert for Marimba and Orchestra" by Igmar Alderete Acosta with Manuel Hernández Silva as conductor and the Cordoba Orchestra.

Since 1992, she is assistant of timpani and percussion of the Cordoba Orchestra. She is an artist endorser of the brands Roft Mallets, Encore Mallets, NP and REMO.

Joshua Haggerty

As a versatile percussionist, Dr. Joshua Haggerty has performed with orchestras, wind ensembles, and various other chamber ensembles. He has shared the stage with groups such as the Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel, the Dallas Wind Symphony, Sinfonia da Camera, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Brazos Valley Orchestra. His performing appearances include multiple appearances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the Ohio Music Educators Association Convention (OMEA), the Midwest Clinic, and at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). He has also performed on steel drums and percussion with the Bongodogs and SPI-Pan, on the beautiful South Padre Island.

Dr. Haggerty’s passion for teaching has been realized in the public school setting as well as at the university level. Before moving to Texas, he served as an adjunct percussion instructor at Youngstown State University and was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois in both the percussion and band divisions. Currently, he maintains a studio at Goose Creek Memorial High School in Baytown, Texas where he oversees all aspects of percussion. His duties include coaching percussion sections for the wind ensemble and symphonic bands, as well as directing percussion ensemble, drumline, and front ensemble. Prior to this appointment he served in the same capacity at A&M Consolidated HS in College Station, TX and at Rio Hondo ISD in Rio Hondo, TX. Having had the privilege to study with some of the best names in the field, Dr. Haggerty holds graduate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied percussion performance
with William Moersch and Ricardo Flores. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree, Summa cum Laude, from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University (OH), where he studied under Dr. Glenn Schaft, Ron Coulter, Rob Ferguson, and Janet Pemberton. Dr. Joshua Haggerty is a proud Encore Mallet endorser who currently resides near Houston, TX with his wife Michelle and their two kids Daniel and Adelle.

Michael Lemish

Michael Lemish is in his 16th year as Assistant Director of Bands at Argyle ISD. His responsibilities include teaching high school, middle school and beginning percussion students as well as teaching and cleaning all aspects the marching bands visual program. Mr. Lemish graduated from Central Noble High School in Albion, Indiana in 1997. In the fall of that year he moved to Denton, TX where he began his collegiate career at the University of North Texas. While at UNT he performed in the UNT Drumline, the basketball band and was part of various percussion ensembles. His teachers included Dr. Robert Schietroma, Jeff Prosperie, Christopher Deane and Ed Soph. In the fall of 2001, Mr. Lemish was contracted to assist the starting of the the Argyle High School Marching Band. In the spring of 2002 he completed his student teaching assignment in Argyle and upon graduating joined the staff at his current position.

Under his direction, the Argyle Drumline has earned first place at the Plano Drumline competition in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 in addition to many "Best Percussion" awards at various marching competitions. Mr. Lemish has played a key role in the numerous awards that the Argyle High School Bands have been awarded including the 2003 and 2005 UIL Class AA State Marching Champions, 2005 TMEA Class C Honor Band, 2006 TMEA Class AA Honor Band, a performance at the 2007 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, 2008 TMEA Class AAA Honor Band and 2008, 2010 , 2012 and 2014 UIL Class AAA State Marching Champions.

Mr. Lemish is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Association of Texas Small School Bands, and the Percussive Arts Society. He is an active percussion arranger, performer, adjudicator, and clinician throughout Texas. Michael resides in Denton, Tx with his wife Erin, daughters Morgan and Zoe, and son Cooper.

CHRISTOPHER WILSON

Dr. Christopher Wilson is the coordinator of percussion at Washington State University where he teaches applied percussion, conducts the percussion ensemble, and serves as Assistant Director of the Cougar Marching Band. An engaging musician, Dr. Wilson regularly performs at institutions and conferences around the nation. This includes recent engagements at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference, the Idaho Bach Festival, and the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy. He has a passion for presenting innovative recitals and inter-disciplinary collaborations, as well as exploring modern repertoire and popular music transcriptions. He frequently collaborates with his non-percussion colleagues, most notably with his wife,  bassoonist Dr. Jacqueline Wilson in Ensemble 337. A sought-after collaborative and ensemble musician, Dr. Christopher Wilson performs as principal timpanist in the Washington-Idaho Symphony and Walla Walla Symphony Orchestras, and previously performed as principal timpanist in the Grant Junction Symphony and as substitute percussionist in the Colorado Symphony.

Dr. Wilson has an active presence in the Percussive Arts Society, where he is the president of the Washington Chapter and a member of the education committee. With the PAS education committee, he chairs the PASIC FUNdamentals subcommittee and has contributed significantly to the PAS Classroom initiative. An in-demand educator, Dr. Wilson has given workshops and assemblies at hundreds of K-12 schools throughout the country. His current research area stems from his dissertation which analyzed the ability of commonly used band method books to prepare beginning percussionists for modern Grade 1 repertoire. Dr. Wilson has subsequently presented his research at NAfME state music educator conferences in numerous states as well as at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy.

Wilson received his Doctor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado studying percussion performance with a secondary area in wind conducting. He is also a graduate of the Boston Conservatory and Eastern Washington University. His principal teachers include Gray Barrier, Nancy Zeltsman and Martin Zyskowski. Dr. Wilson is a proud endorser of Adams Percussion, Encore Mallets, Pearl Drums, and Salyers Percussion.

MIKE NEUMEYER

Mike Neumeyer is a versatile musician, educator, and composer based in South Milwaukee, WI.  As a composer, Mike has written with one unique focus being marimba and voice. One of Mike’s marimba and voice works, The Power of Music, was used in the documentary In Pursuit of Passion.  Mike Neumeyer’s compositions have been published by C. Alan Publications, Heartland Marimba Publications, Eastern Hill Music and through self-publishing.  His works have been commissioned by The UWSP Percussion Ensemble, The Oak Creek Percussion Ensemble, and The Adna Percussion Ensemble in Washington. 

Mike’s work Mikayla for euphonium and marimba was recorded and released by euphonium artist David Abellan Garcia at Banda Municipal de Musica de Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain and newest work Emergent has been premiered by Don and DJ Palmire of The US Army Pershing’s Own.  Mike’s catalogue of recordings includes an eclectic mix from relaxing meditative marimba and vibraphone solos to video game inspired electronic music.  Lately, Mike has been prolifically performing online!  He has recently been featured by Marimba One, Modern Marimba, Wisconsin Music Ventures, Vibesworkshop.com, ZIKSA – An Art Forum, and Desperate Housegeek Magazine!

Mike is on faculty at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), teaching music business, film scoring and percussion.  He is the co- caption head with The Oak Creek Marching Knights (6 consecutive year State Champions) and works with the Oak Creek-Franklin School District as a percussion specialist.  From 2014-2018 Mike acted as percussion coordinator of the UW-Milwaukee Youth Percussion Ensemble in accordance with UWM Youth Wind Ensembles. 

In 2007, Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Music from The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he studied voice, percussion, and music education with Dr. Robert Peavler, Robert Rosen, and Dr. Judy Bond, respectively.  During this time, Mr. Neumeyer also studied conducting with Dr. Brendan Caldwell and composition with Dr. Charles Rochester Young.  In 2011, Mike earned a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he studied with Dr. John Climer.  While at UW-Milwaukee, Mike also studied percussion with Carl Storniolo and composition with Dr. Keith Carpenter and Steve Nelson-Raney.   Mike is a Marimba One Educational Artist and endorses Saylers Percussion/Encore Mallets.  www.mikeneumeyer.com

José Antonio Moreno

José Antonio Moreno is  educator, percussionist and composer from Sevilla, Spain. Nowadays he is teaching in the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Algeciras ‘’Paco de Lucia’’ and very versatile performance percussionist playing with profesional Symphonic orchestras, solo concerti and recitals with more than 13 international percussion prizes.

He finished his bachelor degree in 2009 with the maximun califications in Conservatorio Superior de Música de Sevilla ‘’Manuel Castillo’’ also with the parallel Orchestral Academy Barenboim-Said. Since 2010 to 2014 he is Studiying in Hochschule für Musik and Theater Rostock (Germany) where he finished the Diplom degree in 2012 with the maximun califications and the Master studies until 2014. Also is invited by Prf. Ney Rosauro for the percussion summer camp of University of Central Florida in 2010 and 2011.

He is active collaborator with profesional Orchestras like, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Orquesta Filarmóica de Málaga, Orquesta Sinfónica de Córdoba, Orquesta de Extremadura, Irish National Symphony Orchestra, or  Mecklenburg- Vorpommern Philarmonische

Similarly, he belonged to various percussion groups such as Percufusion, Drummer Dreamers or Hitspalis Percussion Quartet, of which he was a founding member.

He has been invited as a teacher in various youth orchestras and has given master classes throughout the Spanish geography, as well as in Germany, a country that would mark his training and in which he continues to develop various professional aspects as a teacher and soloist. 

If anything characterises him, it is his wide capacity for development in multiple facets as a percussionist, participating satisfactorily in numerous international competitions, including the Percussive Arts Society competitions, in the different specialities of percussion and composition, winning prizes in each of his compositions for the PAS. In the same way, he has actively collaborated with various national and international orchestras, which has led him to perform solo concerts and tours throughout Spain and other countries such as Italy, Germany, Ireland, the United States, Portugal, Austria, Morocco and France, among others.

BRENTON DUNNINGTON

Brenton Dunnington is the Founder of MarimbaSchool.com.

Brenton has been performing and teaching marimba for 20+ years.  He has collaborated with an array of Grammy, Academy, Emmy, and Guinness Award winning composers, artists, & Multi-Platinum selling musicians.

Given Brenton’s passion for helping young percussionists love the marimba, learn faster, and have more fun; he founded MarimbaSchool.com as the premier marimba training and personalized lesson program for middle & high school percussion students. 

Along with teaching hands-on marimba techniques and musical development; inside MarimbaSchool.com, Brenton also helps young percussionists learn ways to boost their self-confidence & overcome anxiety; as well as learn one of the most vital (yet, vanishing) skills on marimba …improving Peripheral Vision.  This helps to be able to watch your hands at the marimba, and your sheet music, and your conductor, simultaneously.

Brenton was also the Founder of the Classical Marimba League, which was recognized by the New York Times for its contribution to inspiring the development of new music for marimba.  Brenton has performed concertos & recitals internationally, for audiences of over 15,000 people; including sold-out concerts at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the ACT CITY Hamamatsu Concert Hall in Japan, & the New Orleans Arena.  Brenton studied marimba with Keiko Abe in Japan, and gave his marimba concerto debut with orchestra at age 15.

Alvaro Méndez

Marimbist, composer, arranger and educator;  Graduate in Art and Professor in Musical Education from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala.  Graduated in the Marimba Specialty, from the “Germán Alcántara” National Conservatory of Music, Guatemala.

 He is currently part of the “Marimba Guatemala”, one of the most important groups in Guatemalan music.  As a member of it, he accompanied the National Modern and Folkloric Ballet of Guatemala on different national and international tours, continuously collaborating with the dissemination of the tecomate marimba, single (diatonic), double, concert marimba and other instruments belonging to traditional culture and popular Guatemalan.  The projection of the marimba has led him to travel to countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Spain, France, India and Dubai.

 As a composer he has written works aimed at the search for new musical possibilities for the marimba and percussion such as Rítmica I, Rítmica II, Contemporimba, David Andrés, Amalgama, Platymiscium Dimorphandrum, Hormigo (work in six movements), among others.  His participation as a group has led him to be part of recording materials such as: Alegría (Marimba de Concert Gaudia Cantorum), Mis Raices (Marimba de Concert de Chichicastenango), Alborada Chapina, 25 Años, 50 años del Paabanc (Marimba Guatemala) .

 He served as an educator at the “Germán Alcántara” National Conservatory of Guatemala and the pro-Conservatory Association.  The concern for dissemination led him to be part of the production team of the largest network in the world that brings together plate percussion artists, A442 the International Network of Vibraphonists and Marimbists;  organizing the “Concerts at Home”, where artists such as David Friedman, Israel Moreno, Virginia Alcarria, Ney Rosauro, among others, have performed;  with the purpose of strengthening ties between countries and generating spaces for marimbistas.

 He recently participated as a soloist in the Peru 2022 Virtual International Music Festival, organized by the “Leandro Alviña Miranda” Higher Institute of Music along with musicians such as Mabel García Quispe (Peru), Dr. Mathew Lau (Hong Kong/USA), among others. .  He participated in his country as a guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Guatemala, in the IV National Season Concert “Independence Concert”.

 Alvaro is also a founding member of Sensemayá Dúo, Chello y Marimba, an idea born from two artists with a career as soloists, who seek to provide an amalgam of unique sounds and timbres to all types of audiences.  He is an artist proudly sponsored by Encore Mallets brands, inc.  and Salyers Percussion.