Percussionist Tom Kolor specializes in 20th and 21st century music, and holds a Master’s degree from the Juilliard School. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo.    

Mr. Kolor appears throughout the United States and Europe as a member of Talujon Percussion, Manhattan Sinfonietta, Ensemble 21, Sospeso, American Modern Ensemble and Newband.  In addition, he is a frequent guest of such ensembles as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York New Music Ensemble, Speculum Musicae, Continuum, Da Capo Chamber Players, Group for Contemporary Music, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

As a soloist, he has given dozens of premieres by such composers as Milton Babbitt, John Zorn, Wayne Peterson, Tania Leon, and Jerome Kitzke. He has recorded for Bridge, New World, Albany, Capstone, Innova, Wergo, Naxos, CRI, Koch, Tzadik, North/South Consonance, and Deutsche Grammophon labels.

For more information on the University at Buffalo visit:  www.music.buffalo.edu

MICHAEL LIPSEY holds a BM from Queens College and an MM from Manhattan School of Music.  He has performed with such prestigious ensembles such as the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, Tan Dun, BBC Symphony, Zankel Band, Harry Partch Instrumentarium, Brooklyn Philharmonic and Bang on a Can and is a founding member of the Talujon Percussion Quartet.  He has recorded for labels such as Sony Classical with the BBC Symphony, CRI Records, Albany Records, Mode Records and Nonesuch Records.  He has performed in cities around the world including Berlin, Mexico City, Taipei, Tokyo, Moscow and on festivals for Bang on a Can, Chautauqua, Library of Congress and the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival.

He recently became a tenured Associate Professor at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College where he directs the Percussion and Contemporary Ensembles.  Michael is very interested in creating new works for hand drums.  He is currently working on a project to commission and  premiere works in this medium.

Michael has received funding from the PSCUNY-36 Award for a solo CD that was released in 2006.  The music on the CD contains recently commissioned works for solo hand drums and includes composers Jason Eckardt, River Guerguerian, Mathew Rosenblum, Arthur Kreiger, Eric Moe, Dominic Donato, David Cossin and David Rakowski.  All the pieces from the cd are also published by Calabrese Brothers Publishing, LLC. 

You can purchase the anthology at this website:

http://store.calabresebrothersmusic.com/08-00209.html

Visit Michael's website at:  http://www.lipseypercussion.com

The Queens College percussion page is:  

http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/music/index.php?L=5&M=54

Matt Ward is dedicated to performing and commissioning new music and has been cited by the New York Times as “a fine soloist”.  With a particular interest in chamber music, he is a principal player with the Argento Chamber Players, Talujon, and is also the co-founder of the percussion trio Timetable.  Mr. Ward also performs regularly with groups such as the Manhattan Sinfonietta, the American Modern Ensemble, Associated Solo Artists, Albany Symphony and the Riverside Symphony. Mr. Ward was the recipient of the Ridley-Tree Fellowship at the Music Academy of the West in 1998, and in 1999 he participated in the Tanglewood Music Center under the direction of Seiji Ozawa and George Benjamin and returned the following year for the American Premiere of Pierre Boulez's Sur Incises at the 60th Anniversary TMC Alumni Concert.  Recent projects include the American Premiere of Philippe Hurel's percussion concerto at Merkin Hall, and the premieres of two new works for percussion by Elizabeth Hoffman.

Matt Ward began studying conducting as the student director of the Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players and in residence at the Bang On a Can Summer Music Festival.  Since then, he has premiered new works by Phillipe Manoury, Lawrence Moss, Ross Bauer, Meyer Kupferman, Barbara White, Sebastian Armoza and many other young composers.  He is also a regular guest conductor with the International Contemporary Ensemble and Ensemble Inc.

Mr. Ward holds a BM degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a MM degree from SUNY Stony Brook, where he is currently a Candidate for his DMA.  He is on faculty at Queens College and at the Bloomingdale School of Music where he directs the percussion ensemble and conducts student and faculty ensembles.  Through organizations such as the 92nd Street Y, Westchester Philharmonic, and Marquis Studios Mr. Ward has worked with elementary school children throughout New York City and the surrounding area.  He can be heard on the recording labels Argo, Newport Classics, Soundspell, and Albany Records.