An Evening of Percussion (FSU Chamber Percussion Ensemble) May 4, 2007

PROGRAM

Untitled (2007) - David Skidmore (b. 1982)
Premiere Performance

Merlin (1985) - Andrew Thomas (b. 1939)
I. Beyond the Faint Edge of the World
II. Time's Way...

Vertical River (2003) - Blake Tyson (b. 1969)
Anthony Cananzi, marimba
John Parks, vibraphone

Mudra (1990) - Bob Becker (b. 1947)

Marimba Spiritual (1984) - Minoru Miki (b. 1930)

TOUR ITINERARY

The Florida State Percussion Group is comprised of four FSU College of Music percussion students, Omar Carmenates, Anthony Cananzi, Chris Jones, and Joel Boss, all representing the FSU Percussion Studio with the very highest in performance and musicianship.

Our program has been specially chosen to highlight a wide variety of composers and instruments; we are featuring music of the Japanese percussion tradition, music inspired by Indian music and dance, an incredible piece for marimba inspired by the epic poem "Merlin" by Edward Arlington Robinson, and two commissioned works by young American composers Blake Tyson and David Skidmore.

PARTICIPANTS

*John W. Parks IV and the FSU Percussion Group*

Dr. Parks, Assistant Professor of Percussion at The Florida State University since Fall of 2003, earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He holds two Master's degrees from Northwestern University, one each in Percussion Performance and Jazz Pedagogy, and a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Furman University. John has studied with Patricia Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Beck of the Rochester Philharmonic, Michael Burritt, Paul Wertico, formerly of the Pat Metheny Group, and John Beckford. Parks is an artist/clinician for Pearl Corporation and Adams Musical Instruments, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo.

Parks has performed with diverse performing organizations ranging from the Eastman Wind Ensemble on their 2000 tour of Japan and Taiwan and the Schlossfestspiele Orchestra of Heidelberg, Germany to the Kansas City, Alabama, Key West, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras. Of his recent performances of the Schwantner Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, critic Stephen Hicken of the Tallahassee Democrat wrote: "In addition to his extraordinary playing, he has a commanding stage presence that won over the audience as well as the orchestra. He deserved the raucous and prolonged ovation he received from the large audience." Parks has appeared as a performer/clinician on National Public Radio, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, NACWPI, and state MENC conventions, in addition to PAS Days of Percussion and guest artist residencies across the United States. Parks is an active scholar as well, having published articles in Percussive Notes, the Zildjian Educator, and Innovative Percussion Online. Parks' first compact disc, Dusk: Percussion Music from the Heartland, consisting of brand-new commissioned percussion ensemble and solo works, was released in August of 2004, and recently was nominated and selected as a winner of a university-wide FSU Teaching Award for the 2005-2006 school year.

*Anthony Cananzi*

Mr. Cananzi is completing his Master of Music in Percussion Performance at FSU, and earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania under Professors Gary Olmstead and Michael Kingan. Anthony has performed as a section member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra as well as our graduate-level symphonic ensembles at FSU. His graduate duties included teaching the Percussion Methods class and conducting the FSU freshman/sophomore percussion ensemble.

*Omar Carmenates*

Omar Carmenates is currently a first-year Doctor of Music candidate at the Florida State University, where he performs in a wide variety of performing organizations. He is also the Percussion Caption Head for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps and the instructor of the Marching Chiefs "Big 8" Drum Line. Mr. Carmenates holds the Master of Music in Percussion Performance degree from the University of North Texas, and earned his Bachelor's degree in Percussion from the University of Central Florida. Omar's teachers include Dr. John W. Parks IV, Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Paul Rennick, Robert Schietroma, Jeff Moore, and Jim Yakas, and he is a proud endorser of Vic Firth, Inc.

*Chris Jones*

Mr. Jones is a senior Percussion Performance major at FSU, and he plans to pursue graduate study specializing in orchestral performance after graduation. Chris has performed with the FSU Wind Orchestra (including the 2006 national CBDNA tour and concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan), University Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Percussion Ensemble, and also participated in the summer 2006 Duff Masterclass in Kansas City. Chris studied with John Evans of the Naples Philharmonic before coming to Florida State.

*Joel Boss*

Joel graduated from Lassiter High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently a sophomore Music Education major at FSU. He is also a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, and performed with the FSU Symphonic Band on their spring 2006 tour and regional CBDNA concert. He has studied with Mike Lynch, Mark Yancich and William Wilder of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra prior to attending Florida State.

Official Website: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_9750.html?selecteddate=05042007