Mike HAMNETT is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.UK,Mike's career has covered pretty much every musical base possible,from world premieres of several concerti,most notably Paul Mitchell-Diavidson's "Aficana" broadcast on national television,to free-wheeling jazz and salsa,via many West End shows (Pirates of Penzance mallets chair,Lion King African and mallets,and assistant conductor,amongst others) and contemporary and orchestral concerts and recordings with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra,BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra,Halle Orchestra and the Manchester Camerata. Currently working on Disney's production of the Lion King in London,future plans include recording a new album of original compositions with his new group "Project One",and an ongoing collaboration with the violinist Susanna Jordan. Mike can be contacted at:mikeymd@btinternet.com (Added 2002.8.31)

Andy Hanrsberger completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature at The Eastman School of Music, where he also received the prestigious Performer's Certificate. He has presented numerous recitals and clinics throughout the United States. A member of the marimba duo PARAGON with partner Greg Giannascoli. Director of Percussion studies at Lee University in Cleveland, TN. Dr. Harnsberger is a performing artist and clinician for the Pearl Corporation and performs on an Adams Artist Series marimba exclusively. He is also an artist/endorser for Innovative Percussion mallet company. Website: members.aol.com:/ahparagon (Added 1999.2.6)

Graduate of Senzoku Music University, Tokyo. Studied under Junko Sakimura, Tomoyuki Okada, etc. A member of Ensemble Historia.

Born in Tokyo in 1975, Shinsuke Ishihara started to study music at age of four. In 1998, he graduated Toho Music University with the first prize. In 1999, Ishihara won the first prize in the All Japan Solist Competition, Marimba division. Also, he received "Grootste onderscheiding" from Belgium Royal Music Antwerpen Conservatorium.

Since then, he has been giving numerous concerts, and recordings. He appears in "Marimba Dancing", which is going to be released in March 2000. In April 2000, he will do recording with Momoko Kamiya and Ludwig Albert . Apart from his solo activigy, he has formed a duo with Ludwig Albert in 1999.

Ishihara studied marimba with Keiko Abe, Momoko Kamiya, Mutuko Fujii, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, Katrina Mycka,Gordon Stout, Ludwig Albert, and percussion with Kyouiti Sano,Leo Oudrits,Koen Willmash, and the Vibraphone with Carlo Williams.

Pius Cheung, as quoted by the legendary pianist Gary Graffman as "remarkably gifted ... elegant and virtuosic music-making", is a young rising marimba artist and composer. Pius' repertoire features largely compositions by himself, and arrangements of music by Bach and Chopin. Since age 10, he has appeared as a marimba soloist around the world including Canada, the United States, Russia, China, Australia, Holland and Mexico. Pius made his U. S. concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003 at the Kimmel Center, and has appeared as a concerto soloist during the World Music Forum 1999 in Russia.

Recent performances include a concerto appearance with the British Columbia Chamber Orchestra performing Bach's Keyboard Concerto in d minor, BWV 1052, as well as concerts and masterclasses at the V Festival Internacional de Marimbistas in Mexico, and Zeltsman Marimba Festival 2005 and 2006, Amsterdam Conservatory, University of Michigan, Boston Conservatory and Boston University.

In 2006, Pius released his debut album of Bach's Complete Goldberg Variations, arranged for solo marimba by himself. The CD is currently on sale at Amazon, Steve Weiss Music, Brant Percussion, iTunes, Rhapsody.com and his own Pius Cheung Online Music Store.

As a composer, Pius has written numerous works for the marimba, including a set of five Musical Moments (Lust, Storm, Solitude, Dance of the Golden Mean, and Romance) for solo marimba, Marimba Concerto with String Orchestra, Sonata No. 1 "Vitanata", Etude in e minor, and Ballade for Eriko Daimo. His music is published by the Connecticut Hills Music Publishing Company and MPC Music Publishing.

Pius is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Vic Firth endorser. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, and his Artist Diploma from The Boston Conservatory.

For more information including full bio, repertoire, CD sound clips and upcoming performances, please visit www.piuscheung.com

Dr. Thom Hasenpflug is nationally recognized as a unique performer and educational voice, while his compositions for percussion receive international recognition and are played all over the world. Currently the Director of Percussion Studies (Associate Professor of Music) at Idaho State University , he has held prior teaching posts at Drake University, the University of South Dakota, Emporia State University, and the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts.

Dr. Hasenpflug has presented performances, clinics and masterclasses at many universities, high schools, and festivals, for several Percussive Arts Society chapter Days of Percussion, and at the 2005 PAS International Convention. As a composer, he has been commissioned by some of the field