Takako Nagano started taking piano lessons at the age of five.
She was accepted as a piano major at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
An accidental meeting with Robert Rosen, Professor of Percussion made up her mind to shift into the world of percussion, especially marimba which she can show her forte and can use her pianistic background.
Upon graduation from UW, she decided to perform exclusively on the marimba.
She continued further marimba studies with Professor Doug Walter at the University of Colorado where she received the prestigious Vice Chancellor's Award for her musical excellence. She holds BA degree in Piano and Percussion from the University of Wisconsin and MM degree in Percussion performance (Marimba Emphasis) from the University of Colorado. She currently resides in Kyoto, Japan where she actively gives solo marimba recitals, lessons and masterclasses. (Added Feb. 16, 2002)

Before coming to America Jeannine performed as a solo artist at the Konzervatorium Z�Eich and with the Salonorchester Zuricher Oberland. Jeannine was a founding member of Conton Percussion Ensemble of Zuriich and she has performed with the Swiss Percussion Ensemble, Opera Orchestra of Zurich, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and the Swiss National Youth Wind Ensemble.
Jeannine received her bachelors and masters degrees from the Konservatorium Zurich. She studied with Horst Hofmann and in Japan with Kieko Abe. Jeannine has performed in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Washington, DC., Germany, Scotland, Japan, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland. (Added 1999.02.28)

William Moersch is an Assistant Professor of Percussion (1998) and Chair of the Percussion Division
B.M. (with High Distinction) and M.M. (percussion performance), University of Michigan.wmoersch@uiuc.edu

William Moersch is internationally renowned as a marimba virtuoso, chamber and symphonic percussionist, recording artist, and educator. He has appeared as soloist with symphonic orchestras and in recital throughout North and South America, Europe, the Far East, and Australia. One of twelve international marimbists featured at the World Marimba Festival in Osaka, Japan in 1998, he is perhaps best known for his solo compact disc, The Modern Marimba, and for commissioning over the past twenty years virtually the entire prominent modern American repertoire for solo marimba. Recently appointed Assistant Professor and Chair of the Percussion Division at the University of Illinois, Mr. Moersch also created the graduate degree programs in marimba performance at the Peabody Conservatory and Rutgers University and has presented master classes throughout the world. A graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was a scholarship student of Charles Owen, Mr. Moersch was a free-lance percussionist in New York for over twenty years. He has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and as a featured soloist on numerous motion picture soundtracks. Currently, he is Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of Sinfonia da Camera and Principal Percussionist of the Bard Music Festival.
(Added 1997.6.12, Updated 1998.6.21, Update 1998.10.24, Updated 1999.01.10, Updated 2002.08.15)

Born in Palo Alto, California, but raised in Rochester, N.Y. Joe Locke is regarded by many to be the vibraphonist of his generation. Although a self-taught improvisor, he benefited from his early studies in classical percussion and composition at the Eastman School of Music with John Beck, Gordon Stout, Ted Moore and Warren Benson. As a jazz musician, Locke was precocious, having played with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie and Mongo Santamaria before he was even out of high school.

Since moving to New York City in 1981, Joe has performed with Grover Washington Jr., Kenny Barron, Dianne Reeves, Eddie Daniels, Jerry Gonzales' Fort Apache Band, Elvis Costello, The Beastie Boys, Eddie Henderson, Hiram Bullock, Ron Carter, The Mingus Big Band and Randy Brecker, among many others.

Joe has toured extensively throughout the world, both as leader and guest soloist. Some highlights include a 16 city tour of Russia, which culminated in a concert with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of world-renowned violist, Yuri Bashmet: a 30 city tour of all major capitals of Europe, performing Charles Mingus' magnum opus, "Epitaph", as a featured soloist under the direction of distinguished conductor, Gunther Schuller; a series of volcanic duet concerts in Italy with pianist Cecil Taylor, where Joe went head-to-head for three nights with the indisputed high priest of the avante-garde.

The critical community continually cites Joe for his artistic work. "There seems little doubt that Locke, with his ability to play cool and funky, heady and relaxed, is set to become the pre-eminent vibraphonist in jazz." (The Times, London)

This year Joe was voted the #1 vibist in DownBeat Magazine's Critic's Poll (TDWR) and Brazil's International Jazz Poll.Locke has recorded 16 cds as a band leader, including the Grammy nominated "Moment to Moment", a tribute to the music of Henry Mancini. As a sideman, he appears on more than 40 recordings.

Joe is currently on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and The New School, both in New York City. Joe Locke endorses Ross Mallet Instruments and Pro-Mark Mallets exclusively. (Added 2003.9.21)

An alumni of The North Carolina School of the Arts and the Mannes Conservatory of Music in NYC, PJ Merola maintains an active career and is one of the few solo percussionist/marimbists working today. He received an exclusive award in Solo Percussion Performance from the National Endowment for the Arts (USA) in 1997 and collaborates/performs/composes extensively with many groups and organizations. He is a large advocate of multi-media expression and new music, while maintaining a focus on classical transcriptions and adaptations within the medium.(Added 2002.05.03)

Linda Maxey began studying piano at the age of four and marimba at age six. Her first major performance was in Madison Square Garden in New York at the age of eleven when she performed for the Kiwanis International Convention. She was the first marimbist to be added to the prestigious roster of Columbia Artists Management in New York. She has been a featured soloist at the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions in Philadelphia and San Antonio. An accomplished arranger as well as performer, many of Ms. Maxey's transcriptions have been published by Southern Music Company. During the past 17 years, Linda Maxey has performed on hundreds of Community Concert series in almost every state of the union and has concertized in Canada and Europe. Her New York debut was in 1990 at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall. She toured Lithuania in May, 1996, playing concerts with orchestras as well as performing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music in Vilnius.(Added 1999.11.12)

A graduage of Kunitachi Colledge of Music. Member of the Okada Tokoyuki Percussion Ensemble and the Ensemble Mallet. (Updated Feb. 16, 2002)

Katarzyna Mycka was born in Leningrad, started playing percussion at the age of 16. Fascinated by the weath of different sounds, she began working intensively on the wide ranging percussion instrumentarium and its often very difficult repertoire. As soon as three years later the young musician had her first success - 1st prize in the Polish Percussion Competition in Opole. In the following year she was awarded a special prize as youngest participant at the Concours International d

Rich O'Meara is fluent in a wide variety of musical styles. As a member of One Earth Percussion Theatre, with Joseph McIntyre and Michael Wingo, he took part in innovative multi-media performances. He has performed with the Contemporary Music Forum, the Lenox Ensemble, and the New York based Sky Music. He was featured as marimba soloist with the Women Composers Orchestra and under the direction of Michel Camilo, was a guest artist at the 1998 Latin-Caribbean Festival at the Kennedy Center. With the new music ensemble Amaranth, he premiered Puzzle Piece for three marimbas. He has composed many works for percussion and small ensemble, some of which are published by Music for Percussion and Marimba Productions. His piece for solo marimba, Restless, was required repertoire for the 48th International Competition in Geneva, Switzerland. He took second place in the 1999 Percussive Arts Society Percussion Composition Contest with looking at "r", for two marimbas. His compositions can be heard on the Audite Schallplatten and the Koch Discover International record labels. He has also spent time playing jazz on vibes, marimba, and MIDI percussion with the Bruce Middle Group and Millennium; and alternative rock as drummer for Kismet. He has served as part time music faculty at Goucher College and the Levine School of Music. He studied percussion with Randy Eyles, Gar Whaley, Ron Barnett, and Leigh Howard Stevens and received a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. (Added May 6, 2001)

Mr. Nakura is a visiting consultant for Percussion Studies and frequent recitalist at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, and he has also given recitals and master classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London, here he has performed as soloist with the Academy's Percussion Ensemble. Since 1992, Mr. Nakura has been the youngest member of Percussion Group '72, Japan's most prestigious percussion ensemble. He was awarded the 1987 NHK Prize for Classical Music and the 1990 Japanese Musician's Union Prize, which presented him as soloist with the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Graduate of Tokyo's Musashino College (1988). [Exerpt from Young Concert Artists Bio] (added 1997.11.16)