Percussion Symposium

She-e Wu has appeared as a solo artist at the 25th, 27th, and 30th Percussive Arts Society International Convention; Journées de la Percussion, NancyPhony Festival, perKumania festival, and PercuPassion Festival in France; Bach Symposium/Bach Variation Festival in Lincoln Center; Taiwan Connection concert at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center; International Percussion Festival and InterAmerican Music and Arts Festival Orchestra in Puerto Rico; Festival Internacional de Percusion "Ritmo Vital 2001" and National Percussion Convention in Spain; Fukui Marimba Seminar in Japan; Giornate della Percussione in Italy; Percussion Festival in Greece; Taipei International Percussion Convention, and many other festivals. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and Symphony Center, Chicago Chamber Musicians, and the Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series in Pearlman Hall at the Kimmel Center. Ms. Wu has performed as guest recitalist and clinician at universities, colleges, and conservatories in France, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, England, Scotland, Germany, Spain, Greece, Japan, and Korea, as well as American music institutions and numerous PAS Days of Percussion throughout the United States.

Ms. Wu's composition Blue Identity was written for Frederic Macarez and the Paris Conservatory CNR percussion ensemble. Blue Identity was premiered in Paris at the Journées de la Percussion festival, and the American premiere took place at the 27th Percussive Arts Society International Convention. K-PAX, a piece for marimba duo, was commissioned by the Taipei International Percussion Convention in 2002 and was premiered in Taiwan and Japan. UP!, for solo percussion and seven percussionists, received its premiere at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago in December 2009. The world premiere of Ms. Wu's latest composition, What the Sun Would Say to the Sky, for marimba quartet, was premiered at PASIC 2011 in Indianapolis.

Ms. Wu has commissioned and premiered numerous works by Eric Ewazen, Ronald Caltabiano, Robin Engleman, Gerald Chenoweth, and many others. Ms. Wu's recent commissions are pieces written by Lee Hyla, Paul Lansky, and Dafnis Prieto. The world premiere of the percussion concerto with wind ensemble written by Paul Lansky is scheduled for January 2015 with the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Ms. Wu has served as a judge for the Paris International Marimba Competition, Greece International Competition, Italy International Competition, Atlanta Snare Drum Competition, PASIC Marimba Competition, P.A.S. Composition Competition (Large Percussion Ensemble), and International Percussion Ensemble Competition (College).

Ms. Wu's recordings include Marimba Concerto by Eric Ewazen with the International Sejong Soloists, solo marimba CD Snapshot, Suite for Marimba and Flute by Alec Wilder with flautist Bart Feller, A Set of Songs and Dances by Doug Hill featuring Gail Williams on horn, and a chamber music recording with the American Brass Quintet of music by David Sampson. Her recording of Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of the Six Suites for Solo Cello by J. S. Bach, with Baroque embellishments by George B. Stauffer, was released in fall of 2014.

Ms. Wu is a clinician and recitalist for the Majestic, Mapex, Innovative Percussion, and Evans and Zildgian companies. Her signature mallets with Innovative Percussion are available worldwide. She plays on a concert marimba of her design by Majestic. Ms. Wu is associate professor of music and the head of the percussion program at Northwestern University.

Grammy Award–winning percussionist Christopher Lamb has been hailed as a dynamic and versatile performer. Having joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Percussionist in 1985, The Constance R. Hoguet Friends of the Philharmonic Chair, he subsequently made his solo debut with the Orchestra in the World Premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto, one of several commissions celebrating the Philharmonic’s 150th anniversary. He has since performed the work to critical acclaim with orchestras throughout the United States and in 2011 won a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Soloist for his recording of Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto with the Nashville Symphony. Lamb also gave the World Premiere of Tan Dun’s Concerto for Water Percussion, a second work commissioned for him by the New York Philharmonic, and has performed it to rave reviews on the Philharmonic’s tour to South America, as well as in Asia and Europe with such notable orchestras as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In the United States, he has performed the work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and the Pacific Symphony. New York Philharmonic Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur selected Lamb’s performance of Tan Dun’s Concerto for Water Percussion for release in the Orchestra’s collection of recordings highlighting his tenure as Music Director. The third commission for Lamb by the New York Philharmonic, Susan Botti’s Echo Tempo for Soprano, Percussion, and Orchestra, was given its World Premiere by Ms. Botti, Lamb, and the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Masur.

A faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music since 1989, Christopher Lamb has led clinics and master classes throughout the United States and on almost every continent. In 1999 he was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholars Award to lecture and conduct research in Australia. During his five-month residency at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, he presented master classes and seminars titled “A Comprehensive Examination of Orchestral Percussion,” which has grown into a model for the art of teaching percussion. In 2010 Lamb was invited to join the faculty of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as an international fellow.

Lamb has recorded chamber works on the New World, Cala, and CRI labels, and his Grammy Award–winning performance of Schwantner’s Percussion Concerto is available on the Naxos label. Christopher Lamb is a former member of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.

Principal Timpanist of the San Francisco Symphony since 2016, Ed Stephan is recognized as one of the most exciting and dynamic timpanists in the United States. He has been praised for his “strong and multi-faceted playing” as well as his “captivating command behind the instrument.” Stephan has also held principal timpani positions with the Pittsburgh, Dallas and Fort Worth symphony orchestras. While in Texas, he made numerous solo appearances and was a recipient of the American Airlines Distinguished Musician Award.

Stephan began his percussion training at the age of six. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. He was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2000 and 2001. During his time in Boston, Stephan performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the New Haven Symphony.

In recent years, Stephan has appeared as a guest with the Chicago Symphony, The Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Dallas Opera Orchestra. He has served as the principal timpanist of the Crested Butte Summer Music Festival and is currently timpanist of the Grand Teton Music Festival and the Aspen Festival Orchestra. He has recorded extensively and can be heard on a number of Grammy nominated and award winning albums.

Mr. Stephan is in demand as a teacher and clinician. He presents regular masterclasses throughout North America, Europe and Asia at many of the world’s most prestigious conservatories, universities and festivals. He is a co-presenter of the annual Washburgh Timpani Seminar, and is on the faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Ed currently serves as chair of the percussion department at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, co-chairs the percussion department at the San Francisco Conservatory of music, and makes regular visits to Northwestern University. Ed proudly endorses Adams timpani, Pearl percussion products, Remo percussion products, Luft Timpani Mallets, and Mike Balter mallets. Off stage, Ed is a passionate cyclist, and a commercial pilot studying to be a flight instructor.

Thomas Sherwood joined the percussion section of The Cleveland Orchestra in September 2015. He previously served as principal percussion of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, 1999-2015. A native of Fairfax, Virginia, his musical career began at a young age when he discovered his father's old drum set packed away in the garage. He graduated with a bachelor of music degree in percussion performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he was student of Tom Siwe and was the youngest recipient of the Edgard Varese Memorial Scholarship. He subsequently earned a master of music degree from Temple University, studying with Alan Abel. Prior to joining the Atlanta Symphony, he was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami for three seasons.

In addition to his orchestral work, Mr. Sherwood is a passionate advocate for contemporary music. For the past decade, he has served as artistic director and percussionist for Sonic Generator, a chamber ensemble specializing in performances of modern electro-acoustical music. An active teacher and clinician, he has presented masterclasses at many of the nation's top universities and conservatories. He has also been the director of the annual Modern Snare Drum Competition, held by the Atlanta Symphony and attracting students from all across the United States.

Vadim Karpinos was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001 by Maestro Daniel Barenboim. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine and began showing an interest in percussion at a very early age. He and his family moved to New York in 1991, and he attended the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Christopher Lamb, Duncan Patton and Don Liuzzi.

Karpinos was a Tanglewood fellow and has performed with numerous orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, the New York City Opera, Grant Park Symphony and the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

He has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras including the Chicago Symphony and at Roosevelt University, where he has been an adjunct faculty member since 2005. Karpinos is also on the board of advisors to The New Music School in Chicago, and he gives percussion clinics worldwide.

Karpinos has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Louis Smadbeck Scholarship, the Dr. Randolph Goodman award, the Morton Gould Memorial Award, the ASCAP Leiber and Stoeler Scholarship, first prize winner of the Soviet Union’s Young Virtuoso competition and several other concerto competitions. He is an active chamber musician and has made many recordings with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Karpinos endorses Zildjian and Innovative Percussion.

Born in Bialystok, Poland, Marcelina Suchocka is the Principal Percussionist for Sarasota Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Marcelina enjoys a diverse career spanning orchestral, chamber, new music, and solo playing. She was a fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach and has performed as an extra/substitute percussionist with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony.

Marcelina has spent summers as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival.

Marcelina has performed as a concerto soloist with the Chicago Symphony performing the Koppel Marimba Concerto. She is a founding member of Excelsis Percussion Quartet and Pathos Trio, and performs locally with ensemblenewSRQ.

Joe Kelly currently holds the position of Assistant Principal Timpani/Section Percussion in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he has been a member since 2018. He is also a private educator in Toronto and coaches the percussion section of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. Before moving to Toronto, he spent a season as percussionist in the New World Symphony. Joe holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music as well as a professional diploma from Roosevelt University. Joe is also an alumnus of the Lucerne Festival Academy and the Tanglewood Music Center, where in both programs he has returned as a soloist with their alumni ensembles. Away from exploring all corners of the percussion world, Joe is an avid lover of cooking, coffee, cocktails, and photography.

Principal Percussion and Margie & William H. Seay Chair, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

A percussionist and conductor of great versatility and virtuosity, George Nickson has been hailed by The New York Times as “a performer handling his role with ease and flair.”

Prior to Dallas, Nickson served as Principal Percussionist of the Sarasota Orchestra from 2012-2019. He received the Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School where he studied with Daniel Druckman and completed his undergraduate studies at the New England Conservatory with Will Hudgins. In addition to his position with the Sarasota Orchestra, Nickson has had the privilege of performing with the orchestras of Boston, Detroit, Washington D.C., Toronto, Honolulu and San Francisco.

Recent highlights include world premiere concerto performances at ensembleNEWSRQ in Sarasota, Florida and at Tanglewood, solo performances at The Spoleto Festival, and solo recording projects that can be heard on NAXOS, Bridge and Albany Records. Nickson frequently appears as conductor in notable performances with ensembleNEWSRQ, including world premieres, Charles Wuorinen’s New York Notes and Le Marteau sans Maitre of Pierre Boulez.

Ed Harrison is Principal Timpanist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Artist Faculty and Head of Percussion at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University. He is considered the leading exponent of contemporary maraca playing in the United States and Europe. While in Venezuela as Principal Timpanist of the Caracas Philharmonic, he studied with the great Joropo virtuoso Maximo B. Teppa. Upon returning to the U.S., he adapted the techniques for use in a wide variety of styles. In 1999, the world’s first concerto for maraca soloist with symphony orchestra was written for him and premiered at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. Chicago Tribune music critic John Von Rhein referred to “Harrison’s remarkable mastery as a solo performer” and Sun Times critic Wynne Delacoma referred to his “finely honed tone and agile, lightening fast rhythm.” In addition, she compared Harrison’s maraca playing to standard maraca playing as “the difference between a prima ballerina and an elephant.” Mr. Harrison subsequently performed the piece at Dvorak Hall in Prague to an outstanding reception and recorded it with the Czech National Orchestra for Albany Records.

Ed Harrison has performed with a wide variety of artists ranging from Leonard Bernstein and Sir George Solti to McCoy Tyner and Paquito D’Rivera. Ed has recorded for Deutsche Grammaphon, London/Decca, Pro Arte/Fanfare, Delmark, Albany, Cedille Records and others. He was a founding member of the Gershwin/Bernstein Ensemble of the Chicago Symphony Ensembles program and performs frequently with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival. He has done radio and television performances for Nova (Public Broadcasting Systems), Metromedia, National Public Radio, WFMT Chicago, WGBH Boston. Ed has performed on commercial soundtracks (jingles) for McDonalds, Kraft Foods, Sears, Kellogg, Ameritech, Illinois Tourism and others.

Mr. Harrison has a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Vic Firth. He attended the Tanglewood Music Center on a Leonard Bernstein Fellowship in 1983 and returned the following year by invitation of the Artistic Directors. He has served on the faculties of DePaul, Northwestern, and Concordia Universities. Ed is a Zildjian Orchestral Artist and a member of the Vic Firth Education Team.

Keith A. Aleo is associate director of music at Interlochen Center for the Arts. He has a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, and administrator. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Miami, Aleo has served on the percussion faculty of the Boston Conservatory, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Miami. He is also a consultant for the Zildjian and Vic Firth Companies. Aleo has presented recitals, master classes, and workshops at throughout the world, including the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, Europe and Asia. Aleo's playing credits include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of the percussion section of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987-2003 and the Director of Education and Orchestral Activities for the Zildjian Company from 2003-2015. He has published percussion method and étude books that have received international acclaim.

Annie Stevens, an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and internationally, is the Associate Professor of Percussion at Virginia Tech, member of the Escape Ten Duo, and Principal Timpanist of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Annie has performed and lectured at over 40 universities, numerous international conferences, and was featured on NPR’s "Performance Today." As an educator, Annie's students have won several awards and competitions, including acceptance into Carnegie Hall's prestigious NYO2 and NYO touring orchestras, winning first place at the Percussive Arts Society Chamber Music Competition at PASIC, and being awarded full scholarships for graduate study after completing their degrees at Virginia Tech. In 2023, she was awarded the Alumni Enterprise Award from the Music Academy of the West. 

As a member of the percussion duo Escape Ten, Annie maintains an active performance calendar around the United States and abroad, having recently given  performances in 2024 in Montreal, Texas, Delaware and Indiana, as well as giving the U.S. premiere of John Psathas’ double concerto, The All-Seeing Sky, in 2023 with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Escape Ten has released several video recordings, publishes new works under the Escape X Series through Keyboard Percussion Publications, and their Escape Ten Signature Mallets are available through Malletech. The duo has also performed a keyboard showcase concert at the 2016 PASIC, the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Festival, Atlanta's prestigious Spivey Hall, Orlando’s Steinmetz Hall, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Jacksonville’s Cummer Museum, and numerous universities in the U.S. and abroad. They have released two albums, Colours of a Groove and Our Favorite Things.

As the principal timpanist for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, she was recognized as "impeccably responsive" by the Roanoke Times. She has also performed with the festival orchestras of the Music Academy of the West, the National Orchestral Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, Ensemble Evolution with the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Metropolis Ensemble, and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra (Florida).

As an advocate for new percussion solos and chamber music, Annie has been a part of commissioning over 45 new works for percussion. She has been featured in performances at the International Computer Music Conference, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S., and the New Interfaces for Musical Expression conference. She performs in a faculty quartet, October Sky, whose mission is to actively commission, record, and perform works for tenor, violin, cello, and percussion. Their debut album, October Skies, was released on the MSR Label in 2023.

Annie's primary teachers include Michael Burritt, Alan Abel, Chip Ross, Bill Cahn, She-e Wu, and Tom McGowan, and she holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.M.), Rutgers University (M.M.) and The Eastman School of Music (D.M.A). Annie endorses Malletech, Remo, Blackswamp Percussion, and Dream Cymbals and Gongs, and she is the Chapter President for the Percussive Arts Society, Virginia/D.C. Region. She lives in Blacksburg, VA with her husband and violinist, John Irrera, and their two daughters.

Percussionist Gunnery Sergeant Michael Hopkins of Raleigh, N.C., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 2018.

Gunnery Sgt. Hopkins began his musical training on piano at age 8 and percussion at age 11. After graduating in 2012 from William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, he attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where he earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and bachelor of music degree in percussion performance in 2017. He has also pursued master’s-level study at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio. His notable teachers include She-e Wu of Northwestern; Chris Lamb, New York Philharmonic principal percussion; and Marc Damoulakis, Cleveland Orchestra principal percussion.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” he performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

Gunnery Sgt. Hopkins performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour.

Jon Deitemyer has established himself as a unique and versatile voice in modern jazz drumming. After graduating from the esteemed University of North Texas where he studied with Ed Soph and Lynn Seaton, Jon settled in Chicago and quickly became a fixture in the city’s expansive creative music community.

Jon has been a member of Greenleaf artist Matt Ulery‘s various ensembles since 2006, and currently performs with ArtistShare recording artist Patricia Barber. In addition, Jon has performed and recorded with Zach Brock, Phil Markowitz, Ben Paterson (MaxJazz), Grazyna Auguscik (EMI), Renee Fleming, Lynne Arriale, and American Public Media’s “Prairie Home Companion”.

Jon is also an active educator, with positions at Northwestern University and Loyola University.

In 2016 Jon debuted the full-length album Tall Tales on ears&eyes Records. Jon is a proud partner of Canopus Drums.

Lalo is currently Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Texas A & M Corpus Christi and a Master of Music from the University of North Texas. Lalo has extensive experience both as an educator, composer, author, and performer. Lalo was named Nashville’s Top Five 1998 Percussionist of the Year Award and “Nashville Scene’s” 2012 “ Best Latin Jazz Musician. Lalo has toured with many artists including the "Take 6" Summer 1996 tour of Japan. Other performances include; the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, the Nashville Chamber Chorus, the Nashville Ballet, Six Pence and None The Richer, Clay Walker, Allen Vizzutti, Arturo Sandoval, and Sherry Lewis to name a few. Mr. Davila can also be heard on Kirk Whalum's Grammy-nominated CD “Hymns In The Garden”. Currently, Lalo performs with several Latin groups including his own band "Lalo Davila and Friends". Most recently, Lalo’s voice and playing can be heard (as Jafar) in Disney’s Dual Language Series “Aladdin”, “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, The movies “People Like Us”, “The Amazing Burt Wonderstone”, “McFarland USA”, and “The Equalizer”, 2012 PlayStation game “Thieves in Time”, “Star Wars”, Black Ops III, “Knights of the Republic”, and America’s Funniest 2010 Commercials. Lalo has also composed music for the television shows, “Drop Dead Diva”, “Prison Break”, “The Bridge”, and “Burn Notice”.