Selected Student Bios

• Sean Statser
  Sean Statser is currently pursuing his M.M. in Instrumental Performance at NYU Steinhardt, studying under the instruction of Jonathan Haas and Simon Boyar. He holds a B.A. degree in Music Performance from Fort Lewis College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and served as Student Marshal for commencement. While at Fort Lewis College, Sean was a student of percussionist Dr. John Pennington. He has studied and been influenced by many styles of music including Japanese, Indonesian, and Latin, as well as both classical and contemporary forms of Western music. He has taken additional lessons and master classes with several artists including Gary Burton, Stefon Harris, members of So Percussion, Ney Rosauro, Naoko Takada, Pablo Rieppi, Doug Walter, Ben Toth, and James Miley.
  
  Sean is an active performer and has played and toured with several ensembles around the country. He has also recorded and released four albums on which he is the featured soloist. His latest release features John Thrower's work Aurora Borealis, written for solo marimba and three percussionists. In addition to performing, Sean is an established composer and was recently commissioned by the Animus Music Festival to write a piece for two percussionists and jazz ensemble, as well as being commissioned to write a marimba duo that was premiered at the 2009 NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar. His compositions are available for purchase through Bachovich Music Publications. Over the past several years Sean has received numerous awards, honors, and scholarships in both academics and music. Most notably, he was the recent recipient of the Yamaha/PAS/Terry Gibbs Vibraphone Scholarship.
• Paul Frucht
  Paul Frucht studies percussion as well as music composition at NYU Steinhardt. Originally from New York, he grew up in Danbury, CT. In high school, he studied percussion with Al Montecalvo while playing in the Danbury Symphony Orchestra. He was also selected as an All State percussionist. At NYU, he studies percussion with Jonathan Haas and Simon Boyar while studying composition with Justin Dello Joio. In two years at NYU, Paul has played with the NYU Percussion Ensemble, NYU Marimba Ensemble, NYU Steel Drum Ensemble, NYU Brass Choir, NYU Community Orchestra, and the NYU Symphony Orchestra. He has written for both the NYU Percussion Ensemble and NYU Marimba Ensemble. Later in 2009, the NYU Marimba Ensemble will premiere his work, "Fading Distance" for double string quartet, bass, and mallet percussion quartet. Earlier in 2009, Paul was asked to make an arrangement of Philip Glass's "Prelude to End Game." Originally for timpani and string bass, Paul arranged the piece for 15 percussionists. The piece was featured as the final in 2009 version of CoMotion and will be featured in a concert presenting a series of works by Glass arranged for Percussion Ensemble to be put on by the NYU Percussion Ensemble in 2010. This past summer, Paul interned with Robert Miller, a well-known New york Composer who writes concert music, film music, and writes music for many commercials. In September of 2009, Paul won the NYU Percussion Concerto Competition playing Eric Ewazen's "Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra" He will be playing the piece with NYU Repertory Orchestra in October of 2009. He has also studied and/or worked with well-known composers and percussionists such as Josh Quillen, Javier Diaz, Ian Finkel, David Smith, Joe Passaro, Andy Thomas, and Eric Ewazen.
• Jacqueline Russo
  Jacqueline Russo is currently pursuing her B.M. in Classical Percussion from NYU Steinhardt under Professors Jonathan Haas and Simon Boyar. She has also studied with Kory Grossman and Josh Quillen of So Percussion. Before coming to NYU, Jacqueline attended the Pre-College Division at the Juilliard School. She has taken part in the NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar/Summit as well as the first annual So Percussion Summer Institute at Princeton University. Jacqueline actively collaborates with performers and composers from NYU and in the greater New York area. She is a member of a percussion trio that came to fruition in the summer of 2009. Most recently, Jacqueline was invited to play at Merkin Hall in the spring of 2010 as part of the NYU Takemitsu Project.
• David Heath
  David Heath is pursuing his M.M. in Instrumental Performance at NYU Steinhardt. He currently holds a B.A. degree in Music from Providence College. At NYU, David performs with the Marimba Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Pan Ensemble, and the NYU Repertory Orchestra. Originally from Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, David has had extensive performing experience. While attending Providence College, he participated in Symphonic Winds, Percussion Ensemble, The Gil Evans Ensemble, several jazz combos, the Blackfriars Pit Orchestra, and the PC Symphony Orchestra, with whom he performed as a marimba concerto soloist. In 2007, David was invited to perform in a master class for percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.
  
  Along with studying classical and jazz, David is well versed in popular music. He has performed in many groups, and was the musical director of an eleven-piece function band, The Soul Explosion. He is also an active singer-songwriter, and released his first album in 2007, and is currently recording his next project. David is currently a student of Jonathan Haas and has studied percussion and drum set with Ronald Stabile, Eric Platz, and Roger Brockelbank.
• Matthew Donello
  Matthew Donello is currently pursuing a Masters of Music Degree in  Classical  Percussion from NYU Steinhardt under Professor Jonathan  Haas. Prior to NYU, Matthew received a Bachelor's in Music Theory  from Ithaca College where he also studied percussion with Gordon  Stout and Conrad Alexander. Throughout his undergraduate years,  Matthew also studied extensively with Christopher S. Lamb of the New  York Philharmonic. He attended the Aspen Music Festival and School in the summer of 2006 where he studied under Ben Herman. Most recently Matthew serves as the Director of the NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar/Summit. Matthew has played with the American Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Metro Chamber Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, New York Symphonic Ensemble and the New York Repertory Orchestra as a section percussionist performing concerts at venues such as Lincoln Center, NJPAC, Symphony Space and Bard College among others. Matthew has also recently recorded the chamber music of Irwin Bazelon for Albany Records. Matthew has a passion for Brazilian music and plays the pandeiro. He has performed with various Brazilian music groups and combos since his undergraduate years including numerous pandeiro/marimba performances with Gordon Stout. In the summer of 2008, Matthew performed with the Bochumer Symphoniker of Germany in Lincoln Center Festival's presentation of B.A. Zimmermn's Die Soldaten. In February 2009, Matthew is traveling to Bermuda to play with the Bermuda Philharmonic and Chamber Choir as a part of the Bermuda's 400th Anniversary Festival.