ABOUT Dustin Donahue SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Grapple” by Paul Hembree Dustin Donahue is a percussionist dedicated to chamber music and contemporary music performance. He has performed with many of the country’s top presenters of chamber music, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella series, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Ojai Music Festival,…
ABOUT Douglas Perkins SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Ilimaq” by John Luther Adams Doug Perkins is a GRAMMY nominated percussionist, producer, and conductor who has been declared a “percussion virtuoso” by the New York Times. He has appeared at venues of all types including Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Center, and the Alaskan Tundra. Doug has commissioned and…
ABOUT Brant Blackard SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Until Flesh is Torn From Bone” by Brant Blackard Dr. Brant Blackard is an active performer, educator, composer and arranger. Brant has performed internationally as a soloist and with chamber groups such as the Alla Ballena Ensemble and the Zohn Collective. His recent solo performances include performances in…
ABOUT Ben Wahlund SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Tassa for Solo Drumset” by Ben Wahlund Ben Wahlund (b. 1977) is a Grammy-nominated music educator, composer, and performer who serves as full-time percussion instructor at Northern Illinois University (2024 Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction Award) and the Director of Percussion at the College of DuPage (2019 College-Wide Outstanding…
ABOUT Andy P. Smith SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Trigon for Solo Drumset and Fixed Electronics” by Alexis C. Lamb Andy P. Smith is known for the depth of his “pocket” as a performer, his uncanny versatility as a pedagogue, and his wit and creativity as a composer. His recent projects include CD recordings, Finally Here and Festive Interplay with…
ABOUT Andrew Toy SESSION TITLE: Performance of “Sneaking Suspicions” by Andrew Toy Andrew Toy uses percussion as a starting point for soundscapes that are rife with seemingly opposing characteristics: intense and atmospheric, sparse and lush, grooving and abstract. By re-imagining the role of drums and percussion, Toy has crafted a sound that blends minimalism, world…
