*Payton MacDonald, Area CoordinatorPayton MacDonald is a percussionist who works across a wide range of musical disciplines. He was a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, a new-music chamber orchestra that is currently regarded as one of the foremost new music ensembles in the country, with multiple recordings and performances all over the globe. He has also appeared as a soloist in many countries, performed with Present Music and Verederos flute and percussion duo, and toured Japan with Keiko Abe and the Galaxy percussion group. He has appeared on two PASIC Showcase Concerts and has performed, composed for, and recorded with the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble. Payton has dedicated much of his career to expanding the art of marimba playing. To that end he has commissioned many works from other composers and is also one of the few marimbists in the world who is a dedicated improviser. MacDonald has released over 80 marimba recordings. Payton studied percussion at the Eastman School of Music (DMA, MM, and Performer’s Certificate) with John Beck, and the University of Michigan (BFA) with Michael Udow. He also learned percussion from Pandit Sharda Sahai, Bob Becker, Julie Spencer, John Alfieri, and Richard Landauer, and Dhrupad vocal from the Gundecha Brothers. www.paytonmacdonald.commacdonaldp@wpunj.edu(973) 720-2373 M'bemba Bangoura M'bemba Bangoura is revered worldwide for his high level of mastery of the djembe drum. M'Bemba began drumming at a very young age in his native Guinea, West Africa. Guinea has many parts with many different styles of drum and dance. Growing up in Conakry, M'Bemba was exposed to all of these styles in the cultural melting pot of the city. By the age of 21, he was an acclaimed and accomplished drummer and was invited to play for Ballet Djoliba, the National Ensemble of Guinea. After playing with Djoliba and other groups in Guinea for 13 years, M'Bemba moved to the US in 1992. He has choreographed and developed repertoire for dozens of dance companies in New York City and abroad. An integral part of many drum and dance conferences and workshops nationwide, M'Bemba teaches and performs regularly in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Colleen BernsteinColleen Bernstein is active as a freelance percussionist throughout New York City and beyond. In addition, she is the percussionist for new-music septet American Wild Ensemble and a member of Creative Leaps International. She has previously performed and collaborated with notable artists such as Béla Fleck, Silkroad Ensemble, International Contemporary Ensemble, Sō Percussion, and Sandbox Percussion. She has won prizes at multiple competitions, including the Universal Marimba Competition, held in Sint-Truiden, Belgium (Ludwig Albert Talent Award). Other previous experience includes performances at the Lucerne Festival (Switzerland), Banff Centre (Canada), Leigh Howard Stevens Marimba Seminar, and the New York Philharmonic’s “Off the Grid” concert series. With a strong belief in the importance of music education, Colleen works as a teacher and community programs designer in multiple areas. She currently serves as the Director of Percussion and Percussion Ensembles for the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and teaches 4-12th grade instrumental music at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School in NYC’s historic Financial District. In addition, Colleen is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Silkroad Ensemble’s Global Musician Workshop. Colleen currently volunteers as a mentor for the Empire State Youth Orchestra Young Leaders Program, and as a member of the PAS Diversity Alliance. Colleen graduated from the Eastman School of Music with degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Education, as well as the Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Certificate and the prestigious Performer's Certificate. She received two Master's degrees in Percussion Performance and Chamber Music at the University of Michigan, where she was honored to receive the Willis Patterson Diversity Award in recognition of her creative work contributing to building an inclusive and diverse campus community at U of M. Her principal teachers include Richard Albagli, Mark Foster, Michael Burritt, and Joseph Gramley. She is an artist endorser for Malletech and Black Swamp Percussion. John FerrariJohn Ferrari is active in classical, jazz, pop, Broadway, film, television, dance music, and the avant-garde. He has performed and given master classes nationally and abroad, and appears on dozens of recordings as percussionist, drummer and conductor. He is a founding member of Naumburg Award winning New Millennium Ensemble and has toured and recorded extensively with Meridian Arts Ensemble. Ferrari has appeared as guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, Bang On A Can Allstars, The Group for Contemporary Music, Da Capo Chamber Players, Cygnus, Patrick Grant Group, Talujon Percussion, among others, as well as the New Jersey Symphony and other regional orchestras. In fall 2007 he joined the faculty of Manhattan School of Music’s Masters in Contemporary Performance Program, and has been artist faculty at Princeton University since 2010. In 2013 Ferrari also joined the music faculty of Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ. He holds DMA and MM degrees from SUNY Stony Brook, and a BM from William Paterson University where he has also served on the performing arts faculty since 2002. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-ferrari-mn0000542557/credits Malavika GodboleMalavika, or Mika, Godbole is known for her enthusiastic support of new music, emerging composers, and is equally at ease traversing the subgenres of orchestral/large instrumental repertoire, chamber music, and niche avant garde. She has premiered several works as a member of Mobius Percussion and has recently joined the New York-based Mantra Percussion. Her musically-adjacent activities include being Artistic Director of Unruly Sounds, Princeton’s first and only new music festival, and is currently the Vice President of the NJ Chapter of Percussive Arts Society. Freelance activities include performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Network for New Music, Richmond Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Orchestra 2001, Bay Atlantic Symphony, Ocean City Pops Orchestra, and Lancaster Symphony as well as a recent appointment as Principal Timpani of the Bay Atlantic Symphony. Recent accolades include a Grammy nomination for Thomas Lloyd’s Bonhoeffer with The Crossing and winning the 2016 Bessie Award with Dan Trueman, Mobius Percussion, and Sō Percussion for Outstanding Musical Composition/Sound Design. As a pedagogue, she maintains an active studio of private students and has recently begun teaching at Trenton Music Makers, an El Sistema-based program, in addition to adjunct positions at Rowan University and William Paterson University.
