Selected Alumni Bios

• Robert C. Kelly
  Robert C. Kelly (M.A. in Percussion Performance, 2006) has an extensive and diverse career as a drummer/percussionist. His musical scope spans the genres of World beat, Orchestral, Latin jazz, Gospel music, improvisations on spoken-word-poetry, modern dance and Pop music.  
  
  Mr. Kelly has received his formal training with Ronald Gould - the Principal Percussionist of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music from The Hartt School of Music while studying with Alexander Lepak, and holds a Master of Arts from New York University while studying with Jonathan Haas. Mr. Kelly has also served as Percussion faculty at NYU Steinhardt.  
  
  He has collaborated and performed with a diverse and stellar list of ensembles and musicians: such as the Royal Swedish Ballet, Gil Shaham, Navah Perlman, David Jolley, Eduardus Halim. Conductors Gunther Shuller, Tania Leon, Richard Fletcher, Joseph Church, James Sedares. Prominent choreographers and directors, such as Ann Reinking (of Fosse and Chicago), Michael Grife (of Rent), Baba Chuck Davis, Stanley Berke, actors Blythe Danner, Bill Irwin, Stephen Collins, and Jack Gilpin.  
  
  Worldbeat and ethnic ensembles such as the highly acclaimed Korean percussion ensemble 'Gongmyoung', the ‘All Ways Surprising' ensemble - performing music of Chile - as Mr. Kelly is Asst. Musical Director and percussionist. Doce no Pires, Caciques, Pyramid dance ensemble, Robert Levin's 'the Rhythm Monsters' performing music from Ghana. And also, 'K' ensemble which uniquely and elegantly combines folkloric Japanese music with Jazz idioms - Mr. Kelly is co-founder with Jun Kubo.  
  
  Jazz and Pop personnel - Jerry Dodgeon, Lenny Pickett, Jim Pugh, Hans Glauschwanig, Javier Diez, Calvin Jones, Daniel Sadownick, Ejyp, Vortex, Julie Simon, Mike Richmond, Carol Woods, Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis Jr.  
  
  He has World Premiered the chamber work ‘Re-Collections' written by Harold Farberman, commissioned for the Centennial celebration of the Jewish Heritage and Culture Society of New York. And 'The Charm' as timpani soloist and Producer, written by Michael Udow.  
  
  Toured the United States, Canada, Europe and performed in Japan. His Broadway and Off Broadway credits include: 'Les Miserables', 'Ain't Misbehavin', 'Infertility...the Musical That's Hard to Conceive', Duke Ellington 'Song Book', 'Fame', and 'A Good Swift Kick', and many others.   Mr. Kelly has been living and working in South Korea since August of 2008. He has been busy freelancing with the likes of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Cheonan City Symphony Orchestra, Arco Diabolo Chamber Orchestra (to which he has recently been appointed as Principal timpani/percussion), Tajeon Broadcast Symphony, Jordi Savall & le Concert des Nations, The International Contemporary Music Festival. Invited and featured Artist for the Opening Ceremony of the III Delphic World Games of 2009 held in Jeju Island.
  
  In March of 2009 Mr. Kelly has also been appointed to a Professor position at the prestigious Keimyung University in the Metropolitan City of Daegu, as Head of Percussion and Drumming Studies of the Music Production Department. Rob Kelly has appeared several times on the leading Korean broadcast networks KBS Radio and KBS TV.
• Andrew Beall
  Andrew Beall (M.A. in Percussion Studies, 2006)  Lincoln Center in 2008, Avery Fisher Hall, became home for the world premiere of composer/percussionist Andrew Beall's second major orchestral work:  Affirmation, concerto for solo percussion and orchestra.  Among others, the Concert Band arrangement has been performed by the U.S. Navy Band in Washington D.C.  In 2004, Mr. Beall performed the world premiere of his Testament: Symphony for Marimba and Orchestra with the Tower Philharmonic, marking as the first marimba symphony in history ever to be composed or performed.  Since the premiere, he has reduced the opus to a shorter Concerto, which has had performances with the Aspen Philharmonic and the Columbus Philharmonic.  
  
  A multi-faceted performer, composer, educator, and entrepreneur, Mr. Beall sustains balance between the Symphonic, Broadway, Rock, and Marching arenas, as well as being the President of the Percussive Arts Society New York Chapter.  As a freelance percussionist, he has performed on Broadway in The Lion King, Les Miserables, In The Heights, Carnegie Hall with the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, and the Latin Grammy's with artists such as Santana, Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia, Patty LaBelle, Kenny G, John Legend, Jon Secada, and the Miami Sound Machine.  Mr. Beall has appeared as a soloist around the world, including 15 recitals and 8 concerto performances.  In 2001, he won the D.C.I. Solo Marimba Competition, D.C.I. Percussion Ensemble Competition (with the Phantom Regiment drum & bugle corps), and the P.A.S.I.C. College Marimba Competition.  He has placed 1st in concerto competitions at The Ohio State University and New York University, and 2nd at the MTNA National Young Artist Performer's Competition.  Mr. Beall spent a year as a cast member and snare drum soloist in the Australian stage spectacular, Rhythm of the Night.  He has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, Key West Symphony, American Brass Quintet, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Percussion Ensemble, Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Garden State Philharmonic, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, Harmonie Symphony Orchestra, Gotham City Orchestra, Westchester Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and has toured Mexico with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.  In November 2007, Mr. Beall was appointed Principal Timpanist/Percussionist of the Erato Chamber Orchestra of Chicago.  Additionally, he tours as drummer/percussionist for the Boston-based rock quartet, Cordis (www.cordismusic.com) and is a member of NY's premiere outreach quartet, Percussion People and touring percussion trio, Axiom Percussion Group (www.axiomperc.com).  
  
  As a composer, Mr. Beall's works have been performed at the top concert halls, conservatories, and music festivals around the world.  In October ‘08, the Erato Chamber Orchestra premiered his Song of ‘Almah for marimba, soprano, and string orchestra in downtown Chicago.  As a guest artist and clinician, he has presented concerts and workshops across the country, many featuring a portrait of his compositions.  In the field of marching percussion, he has taught drum and bugle corps such as the Boston Crusaders, Santa Clara Vanguard, and Carolina Crown (having arranged the 2003 and 2009 winning D.C.I. percussion ensembles).  He has also written and designed indoor percussion shows for Odyssey Percussion Theater and Surround Sound.  Mr. Beall received his B.M. from the Manhattan School of Music, his M.A. from New York University, and was a Charles Owen Memorial Fellowship winner at the Aspen Music Festival.  He is pleased to frequent his alma mater, Manhattan School of Music, to teach privately at their Pre-College.  Mr. Beall's debut studio CD, Deliverance, was released on BMP Records and received critical acclaim from PAS News.  He is the President of Bachovich Music Publications (www.bachovich.com) and Beall Percussion Specialties (www.beallpercussion.com), and is an endorsing artist/clinician for Innovative Percussion (www.innovativepercussion.com), Pearl Drum Corporation (www.pearldrum.com), Sabian Cymbals (www.sabian.com), and Evans Drumheads (www.evansdrumheads.com).  For more information, please visit www.andrewbeall.com.