The official website of composer/percussionist Christopher Swist. This site contains a comprehensive music page with audio examples, programs notes and links to publishers. Swist's compositions are performed worldwide and published through Marimba Productions in the U.S. and Edition Svitzer in Europe. Christopher is currently teaching composition, percussion and music theory at Keene State College in New Hampshire.

Emmanuel S

Peter Sadlo has been hailed by critics as one of the greatest percussionist of the century.
He began to learn to play when only 5 and started to study at the age of twelve. His exceptional talent has always been recognised by his teachers. The most eminent of these was Siegfried Fink, in whose master classes in W・zburg Sadlo obtained his diploma. But his playing of the timpani is particularly marked by the influence of Sergiu Celibidache.
Sadlo won many of the chief percussion prizes while a student, including the prestigious first prizes at the Geneva Competition and ARD Competition in Munich. He has been far more successful than anyone else in his field. He has received many accolades, but his versatile talent is most clearly proved by the number and variety of the engagements he has been asked to take on.
He was the solo percussionist of the Munich Philharmonic and a teacher and also directs professional chamber groups. Hardly surprising, he is a popular guest performer at music festivals and with various distinguished orchestras. His musical flair is unerring and his dexterity on all kinds of instruments quite dazzling. These have earned him great acclaim from the general public and the critics, and he is now in great demand throughout the world.
Peter Sadlo has an exclusive contract with Koch Schwann. For this CD Percussion in Concert he has been awarded the Echo Prize 1998. Deutsche Grammophon released the Bartok Sonata for two pianos and percussion with Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire and Edgar Guggeis.

This Danish duo are not only for marimba but also all ground percussion. Uffe Savery and Morten Friis, they can perform Marimba Spritual just by themselves...2 people! It is called Marimaba Spritual 2 and recorded on their CD. Mostly they transcribe piano music by Bach, Chopin or Ravel for 2 marimbas. Safri version of Alborada del gracioso by Ravel is published from Studio 4 Production, and available their CDs in stores in Japan. (Added 1997.6.12)

Entered Kunitachi College of Music in 1988. Received scholarship from "Yasuda Seimei - Quality of Life Zaidan". On graduation, she received prestigeous "Takeoka Prize". Received Masters degree from the College in 1994.
She studied percussion with Tomoyuki Okada, marimba with Junko Shibata and Akiko Suzuki, Timpani with Peter Sonderman.
Received "Award of Excellence" at the 8th Percussion Rookie's Concert. Received the Gran Prix on the 10th Nihon Kan-dagakki Concours (Japan Brass and Percussion Competition) Percussion division. Gave concerts in Berlin, Sofia, Taipei, Seoul, Denmark etc. as a member of the "Percussion Ensemble OKADA of Japan".
In 1994, she gave the "Saito Mie Percussion Recital - Sound Pazzle -", and subsequently, "Saito Mie Marimba Concert - Wind from the Galia - ", etc. Also appeared in "Marimba Alive! vol.3" with Junko Sakimura.
Currently, actively playing as a solo marimbist as well as an ensemble member in chamber music and orchestra. Member of the Miracle Percussion Ensemble. (Last Modified 1998.5.6)

Junko Sakimura started studying Marimba with Akiko Suzuki at the age of 7. She subsequently graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo (percussion). Her teachers includes Tomoko Kusakari, Shin'ichi Ueno, Tomoyuki Okada. Studied Cimbalom with Yasuko Kano.

Main Performing Activity

* Cimbalom
o Kurtag ...concertante...(Japanese premiere) with Gert Albrecht (conductor) and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall (2004) [Tokyo, Japan]
o Seventh World Cimbalom Congress (2003) [Appenzell, Switzerland]
o Kurtag: ...quasi una fantasia... with Christian Armink (conductor) and the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra at the Suntory Hall. (2003) [Tokyo, Japan]
o Kodaly: Hary Janos with Laurence Foster (conductor) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at the Suntory Hall, Tokyo. (2002) [Tokyo, Japan]
o Dutilleux "L'arbre des Songes " by Tokyo Philharmony Orchestra at the Suntory Hall and the Orchard Hall (2001) [Tokyo, Japan]
o Andriesen: De Stijl with Tatsunori Numajiri (conductor) and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra at Tokyo Operacity Concert Hall (2000) [Tokyo, Japan]
o Kodaly: Hary Janos with Kotaro Sato (conductor) and Kanagawa Philharmony Orchestra. This concert was televised throughout Japan by NHK TV. (1999) [Yokohama, Japan]
o Kodaly: Hary Janos with Masahiro Izaki (conductor) and Tochigiken Symphony Orchestra [Ibaraki, Japan]
o Third World Cimbalom Congress (1995)[Bratislava, Slovakia]
+ as the Japanese delegate and reported on Pravda.
o Suntory Summer Special
+ <Music of the 20th Century> (1991) [Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan]
o Cimbalom Joint Recital（1990）[Ongaku no Tomo Hall, Tokyo, Japan]

* Marimba
o NHK FM Recital (1989)
o Marimba Trio with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (1990) [Orchard Hall, Tokyo]
o Radio Western International FM Recital (1993) [Canada]
o Recital: <Marimba Alive! > (1994) [von Kuster Hall, London, Canada]
o Cross Culture '94 (1994) [Eolian Hall, London, Canada]
o Recital: <Marimba Alive! 2> (1997.7.5) Kunitachi Geijutu Sho Hall, Tokyo]
o Recital: <Marimba Alive! 3> (1997.12.27) [Kunitachi Geijutu Sho Hall, Tokyo]

* Piano
o Suntory Summer Special
+ <Music of the 20th Century>（1991) [Suntory Hall]

She-e Wu began her musical studies at the age of four in her home town of Tainan, Taiwan where she studied piano. Later, she studied percussion with Ya-wen Lien and Tzong-Ching Ju. As a young musician, She-e performed timpani and percussion in numerous concerts throughout Taiwan. In 1991 she came to the United States to continue her musical education. She now holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas where she studied with Dr. Robert Schietroma and Ed Soph. She has also studied with marimba soloist Leigh Howard Stevens.

In 1995 Ms. Wu entered the first Leigh Howard Stevens International Marimba Competition. Despite being the youngest player in the finals, she won third prize, competing against 62 players from 23 countries. In 1996 She-e was invited to perform on the radio broadcast final concert of the World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Germany. She is also a featured concert artist at the 1999 National Percussion Convention of Spain in Seville.

She-e Wu has taught and performed at the University of North Texas and at the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar. She has been the featured soloist with the Tempus Fugit Percussion Ensemble and performed as guest recitalist and clinician at numerous schools of music throughout the United States. She-e has also performed at the Hawaiian Music Educators Association Convention and is a member of the Bob Becker Ensemble in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Wu was an Assistant Professor of Music at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1997-1998. She is currently a faculty member at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is also a marimba artist and clinician for Malletech. (Added 1999.4.11)

Mark Shelton is a freelance percussionist living in the Dallas, TX area. He performs on the marimba as part of his solo percussion program for students. Mark is on the Young Audiences rosters in Dallas, Houston, and Beaumont, Texas. Before moving to Texas, Mark served as Visiting Artist at Wayne Community College in North Carolina.
In addition to his work as a soloist, he leads the New Acoustic / World Music ensemble, Tin Roof Tango, and is percussionist with the Calvary Temple of Irving Celebration Orchestra. (Added 1999.2.6)

Robert Van Sice, percussion, has premiered over one hundred works, including concertos, chamber music, and solos. He has made solo appearances with symphony orchestras and given recitals in Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East. In 1989 he gave the first full-length marimba recitals at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and has since played in most of Europe's major concert halls, many of which have been broadcast by the BBC, Swedish Radio, Norwegian Radio, WDR and Radio France. He is frequently invited as a soloist with Europe's leading contemporary music ensembles and festivals, including the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Contrechamps, and L'Itineraire and the Archipel, Darmstadt and North American New Music festivals among others. From 1988 to 1997 he headed Europe's first diploma program for solo marimbists at the Rotterdam's Conservatorium. Mr. Van Sice has given master classes in over twenty countries and frequently visits the major conservatories in Europe as a guest lecturer. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, Toho Gakuen, and South African College of Music and has studied with Cloyd Duff, Keiko Abe, Leigh Howard Stevens and Michael Rosen.[Excerpt from the homepage linked above.] (added 1997.11.16)

Dr. J.B. Smith is an Associate Professor of Music and the Coordinator of Percussion Studies at Arizona State University. He has performed and recorded with Ensemble 21, The Daniel Lentz Group, Summit Brass and the Phoenix Symphony. He is also an Artist-in-Resident for ASU's Institute for Studies in the Arts. Smith received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University, where he studied with Dr. Larry Vanlandingham; his Master of Music in Percussion Performance and Literature degree from the University of Illinois, where he studied with Prof. Thomas Siwe; and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Dr. Robert Schietroma. He has written articles for The Instrumentalist and Percussive Notes and served as president of the Arizona chapter of the PAS. Smith is also active as a composer, with numerous works published by Whole>Sum Productions.