Hossam's passion and huge talent for percussion was noted at a very young age by his family, many of whom were themselves involved in the arts. Hossam was encouraged to master his craft and studied under leading Cairo music teachers. A move to Saudi Arabia led him to joining with many Bedouin tribes which gave the young Hossam a rich insight into the cultural origins of Middle Eastern music and became the inspiration for many of his later rhythmic directions. In the mid 1970's Hossam came to England, and enjoyed great success as a Jazz drummer working with many respected Jazz musicians like Andy Sheperd and Geoff Williams. But as he began looking for new dimensions of percussive sounds, he found himself turning full circle back to his first love, the Egyptian Drums, and the thrilling dance rhythms of the Middle East. Hossam then encorporated all his rhythmic experience into creating a new sound that is heard on hundreds of the world leading albums recorded today. Hossam is known world wide for creating string arrangements and percussion and produced many songs for the world's leading artists. In 1994 Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (ex-Led Zeppelin) invited Hossam to bring together a band of Arabian musicians and work on their reunion album 'No Quarter - Unledded' for which he was rewarded a GOLD thena PLATINUM discs. In 2001, Hossam was awarded a PLATINUM disc by ARC Music Record Company during their 25th Anniversary for being the top selling artist with over 200.000 record sales.

Niti Ranjan Biswas is an open-minded and keenly sensitive percussionist, firmly grounded in traditional styles of Tabla playing, as well as a versatile accompanist in Jazz and experimental ensembles. Based in Amsterdam, he is one of the most sought after Tabla players and teachers in Europe. He has played with legendary Indian classical musicians such as Hariprasad Chaurasia (Flute), Niladri Kumar (Sitar), Dhruba Ghosh (Sarangi),Terry Riley, the Metropole Orchestra, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble and the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra. Niti is currently the Head of Studies at the Conservatory of Rotterdam’s Indian Music Department (Codarts Rotterdam). He also teaches Tabla at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. As a Tabla teacher he is able to convey an extremely intricate body of knowledge in an accessible, systematic and inviting way, attracting advanced students from all over the world.

Brazilian/world, drums/percussion. Born in Sao Paulo – Brasil – in 1970, performer Simone Sou traced her musical path starting in the urban enviroment she grew up. Researching for traditional rhythms, Simone explored brazilian music from north to south of the country and dedicated time to her drums and percussion studies (private lessons, workshops, clinics, courses)

Simone worked with several bands and cultural exchange projects playing in festivals (Womad, Womex, Sfinx, Festival Mundial, Montreux Jazz Festival, to name a few) around the world (USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zeland, Brasil, Egypt, Jordania, Cape Verdi, China, Thailand ).

From her world experiences Simone blended musical styles and created her own sound: a sort of afro-brazilian drumming with indigenous spirit and folkloric/modern flavor. Her set up is called “Percuteria” – a mix of a drumkit and percussion instruments.

Simone performed and recorded with brazilian artists:

• Os Mutantes
• Chico Cesar
• Zeca Baleiro
• Zelia Duncan
• Badi Assad
• Robertinho Silva (to name a few)
and international projects:
• Ray Lema
• Ethel String Quartet
• Oleg Fateev
• Orquestra Scotland- Brasil
• Stephan Riggert “Drum and Voices”
• Yusa

SIMONE SOU is her first solo CD released in 2011. 2015 she released “ Sounds of Life” - with the duo Soukast ( Simone Sou/Guilherme Kastrup) and piano player Benjamin Taubkin. Simone composed music for movie and theater and produced fusion “indigenous/world music” CDs in Brasil/ She gives workshops and lessons around Europe (DrumCamps in England) and for two years lead the rhythm session of Notting Hill Carnival – London - together with Maracatu Mafua. Living in Holland, Simone just released her new CD recorded in Tilburg “S.O.S Bras Beat”, bringing her compositions ( instrumental/songs ) and percussive solo performances.

Singer, bass player, percussion player and dancer, Manou's love for the stage is legendary so much that she refers to it as her second home. Her years on stage have seen her developing African music in very innovative ways. Inspired by her great African traditions rooted in Djiboi and by the influences of Western musical culture,Manou embraces the world's soul funk and blues expressed in various languages.

Stephen Olusoji studied music at the Polytechnic Ibadan, Nigeria, did his B.A (Music) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and M.A and Ph.D (Ethnomusicology) at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a composer-musicologist and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Olusoji is a consultant to the MTN-Muson Diploma Programme (a semi-conservatory) and he has served as judge at various Music Competitions. He has presented papers at reputable conferences in Nigeria, US.A and other countries.

Benjamin Toth, Professor of Percussion at The Hartt School, has presented concerts, radio and television broadcasts, and clinics in many countries, spanning six continents. Highlights of his performance credits include: Percussion Group Cincinnati, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Goodspeed Opera House, Bushnell Theater, and the Jimmy Dorsey Band. Performance venues have included Ravinia, Walker Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Dagbe Arts Centre (Ghana), the Encontro Internacional de Percussao (Brazil), the Festival Bicich Nastroju (Czech Republic), June in Buffalo festival (with Steve Reich), Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (Germany), 15 P.A.S. International Conventions (appearances with Herbert Brun and John Cage), and the Trinidad Panorama. He has appeared on twenty recordings.

Dr Rachel Hayward has over thirty years experience within the pan world as soloist, arranger, band leader, adjudicator and academic. She holds degrees in music performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and City University, London which is also where she was awarded a Doctorate in ethnomusicology.

In 1989 she won the UK Steel Pan Soloists Competition and remains the only person of European descent ever to reach the finals of the World Steel Pan Soloists Championships in Trinidad and Tobago (1996). Throughout her career she has championed the expansion of pan repertoire and is regarded to be a leading exponent of classical music on the instrument; she has also co-ordinated and performed in projects which have developed new pan compositions. She has had several solo parts composed for her including works by Roxanna Panufnik (Inkle and Yarico - performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Holders Opera Festival, Barbados in 1997) and Patrick Larley (The Birmingham Spirituals, 2014) and she performed the solo pan part in the UK premiere of Gérard Grisey's Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil with the London Sinfonietta. he maintains a very active performing career and has recently released her fourth album of pan music - Red Head.

She is a unique Japanese percussionist based in Amsterdam, working globally as known as a multi-percussionist (including vibraphone and marimba playing) beyond the border of different genres of music fields. Her musical education was started on playing the classical piano at age 3. She has changed to play the classical percussion and has advanced to specialize on the way at age 16. She has done her bachelor and master degrees in Tokyo College of Music. In 2008, she has moved to study in Conservatorium van Amsterdam, has completed her bachelor ‘cum laude (with distinction)’, also master degree of classical percussion.

Combining all her backgrounds, she works as an active freelancer percussionist in different fields of music; such as classical, contemporary, theater, baroque, pop, latin, jazz and improvisation. In Netherlands, she has ever worked with numerous famous orchestras, ensembles and music festivals such as Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Slagwerk Den Haag, Asko|Schöenberg, Gaudeams Muziekfestival and Holland Festival etc.

Currently she is member of international world percussion/drum band ‘DRUMS UNITED’, inter-continental female percussion trio ‘Beat the Kitchen’. Also she has worked as a percussionist in Australian Broadway musical show ‘TAP DOGS’ tour in Germany 2015 summer. Her lifework is collaboration with another kind of artists. For past 15 years, she has collaborated with dancer, florist, fashion designer, film director, visual artist, painter and fine artist.

Herman is solo-percussionist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2002. Before that he was a member of the Metropole Orchestra. The Amsterdam Percussion Group was for more than 20 years the place to concentrate on percussion only, with performances around the world.

Joan Lithgow has been involved in music for most of her life, as a student, as a performer, teacher, lecturer, author and most recently as an Arts Administrator. She has been involved in music education for 40 years and has worked in many schools in South Africa as well as Botswana. She is the author of a number of books on Marimbas and several articles on music education for local publications. She has developed a unique method of teaching African marimbas to large groups of children at the same time. In addition, she has co-authored a Pre-School Arts and Culture Programme using the marimba which is being used by a number of institutions.

As one of the Founding Directors of The Marimba Education Foundation she was the organizer of 6 highly successful National Marimba Festivals. She has since moved on and joined Education Africa to further her passion for, and aims and objectives with marimbas not only on a local scale, in particular with rural communities, but also on an International scale. Joan has 43 years’ experience in marimba playing, 32 of which has been with African marimbas. She is passionate about the power of the marimba! She has trained over 1500 teachers around the country and has been instrumental in getting at least 90 schools in South Africa to start marimba programmes.

Joan is the director of the EDUCATION AFRICA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MARIMBA AND STEELPAN attracting over 1600 performers from all over Africa and South Africa. Joan is completely non-elitist and believes that music should be for everyone and not only the privileged few who can afford it. Joan also has studied a number of African languages including Zulu, Setswana and Southern Sotho. While she is not fluent in any of them she has a working knowledge of all of them.

A music teacher, adjucator, workshop facilitator and a Musical Conductor/Arranger/Player, Lorna Angela Conyette holds a B.A. Special in Musical Arts. She is a long standing adjudicator. Having served as one for the National Steel Band Panorama (Trinidad and Tobago) for nineteen years and Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy Competition for eighteen years. She also served as an adjudicator for Panorama Steel Band Competitions in New York, St Lucia, Granada, Antigua and St Vincent. Between 2009 and 2011, Lorna adjudicated in the CXC Musical Practical Examination. She was also an adjudicator at the Caribbean Soca Monarch in 2010.

An accomplished teacher and trainer, Lorna has facilitated various music and music adjudication workshops such as Steel Band Adjudication Workshop Facilitator (Antigua & Barbuda. 2013 & 2016), Prime Minister’s Best Village Workshop Facilitator (Music 2016) as well as the NCSE Workshop (Ministry of Education Music 2008 -2011) and Steel Band Workshop Facilitator (University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica 25th Anniversary Celebrations in 2008.

Professor drums at the Jazz Department of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, (CVA, The Netherlands), Professor Drums and Latin Percussion at the World Music Department of Codarts (The Netherlands) Teacher and clinician at 9Beats (Tianjin, Beijing China) Founder/leader/conductor/arranger/musical director of international percussion group Drums United. Founder/leader/conductor/musical director of the Cubop City Big Band (CCBB, The Netherlands), Co-director of Tam Tam Productions (TTP Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Expert in latin drums; drummer/percussionist, composer/arranger.

Head Of Drums and Author at the Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME-ONLINE USA/UK) Drum Faculty Member at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP-London) Visiting Professor at the Swiss Drum Academy (SDA, CH) and Founder/Owner at Gabbey Road Studio Private Drum School in London, UK.

Recording Artist for DRUMEO (Vancouver, Canada), DRUMCHANNEL (LA) and HUDSON MUSIC (NYC). Performed at countless international drum festivals and conducted clinics and masterclasses at Los angeles Music Academy (LAMA), University of Southern California (USC) and at leading UK/European universities, featured artist in Modern Drummer Magazine and other remarkable publications. He is also the founder and leader of drums & percussion groups "tHUNder Duo - featuring Kornel Horvath on percussion, and "Rhythm Frontier" featuring Pete Lockett. Worldwide Endorser of market leading brands, such as: PEARL Drums, ZILDJIAN Cymbals, REMO Drumheads, VIC FIRTH Sticks, ROLAND V-Drums, TYCOON Percussion, HARDCASE and SKYGEL Damper Pads.

David began playing drums in elementary school at the age of ten and by the time he was seventeen, he had started his professional career. He joined the United States Air Force where he became a member of the 724th USAF band stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington between 1966 and 1969 before joining the legendary Tower of Power in 1970. David rose to become one of the most influential drummers of his generation and as a writer and performer David has worked with many distinctive artists as Patti Austin, Natalie Cole, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, Boz Scaggs, The BBC Orchestra, Gino Vannelli, Talking Drums, The Buddy Rich Orchestra, Ray Obiedo, Wishful Thinking, Poncho Sanchez, RAD and many others.

Currently, David is once again, performing and recording with the Tower of Power. In 1998, after an eighteen-year "break", he rejoined the group for some "unfinished business". He has contributed immensely to the percussive art and received several awards from many reputable publications including, the Drum Magazine, the Rolling Stone Magazine which listed him amongst the 100 Greatest Drummers of all time

David has been endorsed by the several companies including Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Latin Percussion Remo Drum Heads Audix Mics and The Buttkicker He is a 2012 Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame Inductee and a recipient of the 2012 Yamaha Drums Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Li Hongyu, founder of Nine Beats National Franchise Institution of Music Education, also serves as chairman of board of directors of Tianjin Nine Beats Culture and Art Development Co., Ltd., percussion teacher of the Affiliated High School of Tianjin Conservatory of Music, trustee of China Percussion Association, vice president of Tianjin Chamber of Commerce for Education and Training Industry. Mr. Li established Nine Beats in 2003 and before that, he had committed to drum performance and education for 29 years. Till August 2015, Nine Beats has established over 450 branch centers in 235 cities among 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China with more than 60,000 students and 3,500 teachers.

During the 12 years since the establishment of Nine Beats, Mr. LI Hongyu has been always dedicated to the promotion of basic education for China’s modern music and has published the Nine Beats Drum-set Course System including 18 books of 6 collections. Each year, Mr. Li conducts many masterclasses and staff training programs in China and over 4,000 teachers have been trained by Mr. Li and teach drum-set in different centers. Mr. Li has cultivated numerous excellent students such as AN Yu who entered into Shanghai Conservatory of Music, HAN Bingchen who is admitted by Rotterdam School of Music, the Netherlands, SHi Xu, Tianjin Conservatory of Music and others in Sichuan Conservatory of Music. Numerous young students of Nine Beats have won consecutive first, second and third prizes in various percussion contests in China.

Mr. Li’s contribution and achievements for China’s modern music education have been highly recognized and praised by numerous percussionists, educators, and counterparts in music industry and attracted great attention from various media at home and abroad, namely as Reuters, Al Jazeera Television, NBC, British TV, French Television, Germany Television, Dutch Television station, Japan Television, Singapore Television, Taiwan TV Station, Hong Kong Television Station , programs like “Wealth Story", "Oriental Horizon", “Story”, “Human and Society”, "Data Confidential”, and " News Saloon " of CCTV, Phoenix TV Chat Show Columns, Tianjin TV "Men’s World" and many others. Dozens of domestic and foreign TV media have interviewed Mr. LI Hongyu or filmed programs and China documentary program also featured him a documentary entitled "Drum Speakers".

九拍创始人李红育老师简介

李红育，九拍音乐教育全国连锁机构创始人、九拍文化艺术发展有限公司董事长、天津音乐学院附中现代打击乐专业教师、中国打击乐学会理事、上海市打击乐协会常务理事、天津市工商联教育培训商会副会长。 李红育老师从事爵士鼓演奏及教学29年，2003年创建九拍音乐教育全国连锁机构。截至2015年8月，九拍在中国的30个省、直辖市和自治区的235个城市建立了450多个校区，在学学员达到60000多名，在职教师3500多名。

九拍成立12年来，李红育老师始终致力于中国现代音乐基础教育的普及推广，编写出版了六集十八册的《九拍爵士鼓系统教程》并在全国爵士鼓教育培训机构中广为使用。李红育老师每年都会在全国举办多场师演示会及资培训班，已亲自培训了4000多名教师在全国各地爵士鼓教学机构任教。

李红育老师亲自培养的学生安雨、韩秉宸、时旭等都已考入上海音乐学院、荷兰鹿特丹音乐学院、天津音乐学院及四川音乐学院。九拍的众多小学员连续9年均包揽了全国各大型打击乐比赛的冠、亚、季军奖项。 李红育老师对中国现代音乐发展做出的杰出贡献和取得的教学成就得到了国内外打击乐演奏家、教育家及音乐行业的广泛认可和推崇，并吸引了国内外众多媒体的关注。路透社、美国全国广播公司、半岛电视台及英国、法国、德国、荷兰、日本、新加坡、台湾、香港等数十家国内外电视媒体均对李红育老师进行了采访报道，央视《财富故事会》、央视《东方时空》、央视《讲述》、央视《人与社会》、央视《百科探秘》、央视《新闻会客厅》、凤凰卫视《鲁豫有约》、天津卫视《男人世界》等栏目也纷纷邀请李红育老师做了专访节目，中国纪录片栏目为李红育拍摄了专题纪录片《鼓语者》。

Dom Famularo has been traveling the globe preaching the gospel of drumming for over 40 years. An intense performer, Dom is one of the most respected solo drum artists in the world, with a career built solely upon his unique skills as a drummer, educator, author and motivational speaker. He began playing as a professional at the age of 12 along with two of his older brothers and a younger sister. Eventually, he graduated to other bands and different performing situations. At seventeen his desire to commit to a career in drumming led him to many great teachers and mentors.

During the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s he performed in many different situations in New York and also had the chance to play with B.B. King, Lionel Hampton, Barney Kessel, Chuck Leavel and many other great musicians. Dom has also maintained a very active private teaching schedule of 40 to 50 students a week. At this time, the president of Tama Drums, Ken Hoshino, signed him on as Education Director. He began performing clinics throughout the nation opening for artists Simon Phillips, Billy Cobham, Lenny White, Denny Carmassi, Kenny Aronoff and many others. For the last 5 years, he has traveled to at least 10 countries per year. His passion for drumming and teaching has directed him to great places throughout North America, the Far East, Australia, and to almost every county in Europe.

Adam Mason has served on the percussion staff of 10-Time DCI World Champions The Cadets and Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. He is active as a performer, adjudicator and clinician around the world including China, Brazil, U.K., Hong Kong, Trinidad, Japan, Ghana, Canada, U.S. and Percussive Arts Society International Conventions.

Percussion at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, he also serves as Chair of the Percussive Arts Society International Committee and Alberta PAS Chapter President. Professor Mason is proud to be an educator/endorser for Remo, Zildjian, Vic Firth and Yamaha Canada.

Campbell is one of Australia's most highly renown and respected Drumline educators. As a performer, Campbell's touring experience includes trips to the UK, China, New Zealand, and around Australia including a 2015 European tour with the Blue Devils International Drum and Bugle Corps and as lead snare for Australia in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Orchestra.

Campbell has studied extensively with legendary rudimental percussionists including Bill Bachman, Scott Johnson, and Jeff Moore and has run workshops and masterclasses at a large number of Universities and Colleges around Australia, has presented System Blue clinics with the Blue Devils throughout Europe and conducts regular school workshops and incursions around Melbourne. In 2010, Campbell established the D²Drumline, Australis's premiere marching percussion and mobile entertainment ensemble which has seen them perform at some of the countries biggest events including the 2014 Cricket World Cup Finals Series, the AFL Grand Final and dozens of other high profile corporate and public events.

Campbell has been the convenor and lead instructor at the National Drumline Camp since its inception in 2012 which has since featured a number of world class names including Scott Johnson, Bill Bachman, Ralph Nader and Harvey Thompson. This event was set up in an effort to promote the development and growth of marching percussion in Australia as part of Campbell's role as a Founding Director of the Drumline Association of Australia. As and adjudicator, Campbell has judged and composed test pieces for the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod multiple times. Campbell is an artist and endorsee of Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Promark sticks and Evans Drum Heads.

Dr. John Wooton is the director of percussion studies at The University of Southern Mississippi. A native of Lafayette, La., he has received degrees from the University of Iowa, the University of North Texas and the University of Southwestern Louisiana. From 1988 to 1992, Dr. Wooton was the athletic band director for the University of Iowa. As an instructor and performer, Dr. Wooton has been associated with five P.A.S.I.C. Marching Percussion Forum champions. He marched snare drum for four years with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford, Ill. (1981-84). During those years, Dr. Wooton held the Drum Corps Midwest Individual Snare Drum title, the Percussive Arts Society Snare Drum Individual title. From 1987 to 1989, he served as the percussion caption head for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1990, Dr. Wooton was their percussion consultant. For the 1990-91 drum corps seasons, he served as program coordinator/percussion arranger for “Nite Express” Drum and Bugle Corps of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Since joining the faculty at Southern Miss, Dr. Wooton, along with establishing a strong percussion studio, has introduced the USM Steel Band, Pop Percussion Ensemble, Samba Band and Salsa Band. He has served as the president of the Percussion Arts Society, Mississippi Chapter, and has been a member of the Percussive Arts Society Marching Committee since 1990. Dr. Wooton is a clinician for Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Remo Drum Heads, and Row Loff Publications. He is member of the Vic Firth Education Team and is featured demonstrating all 40 snare drum rudiments on the Vic Firth web site (www.vicfirth.com). Recently John has performed clinics and concerts at the England Day of Percussion in Birmingham, England, the Patagonia Percussion Festival in General Roca, Argentina, Rimtos de Terra in Campinas, Brazil, Festival Internacional de Percussion in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Percusion Festival Internacional III in Cordoba, Argentina, Alberta Day of Percussion in Alberta, Canada and the Percussive Arts Society.

International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Within the United States Dr. Wooton has given clinics, recitals and concerts in all but two states. Dr. Wooton also plays vibraphone and drum set for the USM Jazz Quintet and leads his professional steel band “Kaiso!” playing steel pans. Dr. Wooton has authored two books and numerous rudimental snare drum solos and marching percussion ensemble pieces. Most recently, his book “Dr. Throwdown’s Rudimental Remedies” consists of a two hour DVD, 951 play along tracks and 25 lessons. The “The Drummer’s Rudimental Reference Book” is a staple amongst universities throughout the U.S. and abroad. About Dr. Wooton’s Rudimental Reference Book, Thomas L. Davis said “Perhaps the most definitive rudimental technique book of our time.” On steel pans Dr. Wooton has performed locally and around the world at various percussion festivals. Most of his performance activity takes place on the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Pensacola. His band, KAISO!, has been featured at the historic Snug Harbor Jazz Club in New Orleans as well as Sweet Lorraine’s and Charmaine Neville’s Jazz Club. They have also been featured at various Jazz Festivals including “Jazz in the Grove” in Bay Springs, the “Pensacola

Goombay Festival,” the “Pensacola Jazz Festival” and the “Seville Square Spring Concert Series.” As a soloist pan player and singer, Dr. Wooton is as comfortable in a concert hall as playing for a party by a pool. This past year he had over 50 solo performances. He has appeared as a guest artist at several universities, jazz clubs and music festivals in North and South America. SoMiSPO (Southern Miss Steel Pan Orchestra), under the direction of Dr. John Wooton, is comprised of students from the University of Southern Mississippi. This group performs regularly on and off campus. Recently they have been featured on several concert series programs in Meridian, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as well as Pensacola, Fla. and Gulf Shores, Ala. They recently finished recording their second cd and it will be available in May of 2012. Their first cd was recorded with renowned steel pan recording artist Andy Narell. The group has performed with some of the world’s finest steel pan artists including Andy Narell, Robert Greenidge, Ray Holman, Jeff Narell, Tom Miller, Gary Gibson and the Father of the Steel Pan, Dr. Ellie Mannette.

At age 18, Juanjo Guillem was a member of the Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona, performing as a timpanist and principal percussionist. Two years later, he played lead percussionist in the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, and since 1999 he holds the position of timpanist and principal percussionist in the Orquesta Nacional de España. He received his musical training in Spain (Conservatories of Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona), France (CNR of Strasburg) and England (RNCM of Manchester). Acknowledged by the critics as “an artist who is able to make the incredible possible besides producing an outstanding show”, Juanjo Guillem, who has commissioned and premiered over 70 pieces, is capable of addressing all forms of artistic projects thanks to his display of different technical and artistic resources acquired during his performances in important concert halls all around the world.

A passionate musician devoted since the beginning of his career to new creations, Guillem stands out in his commitment with the most emblematic musicians of our time and at the same time, developing his own projects as a soloist and keeping constantly in touch with contemporary musicians, many of who have dedicated their Works to him. Expanding his interests and focusing on all aspects of his instrument, in 1994 he created his own percussion group ‘Neopercusión’ as well as a Studies Centre, channelling in this manner his interest in chamber music. This group, under his artistic direction, has become one of the most prominent percussion groups on the international circuit. Juanjo Guillem regularly records some of the most important pieces written for percussion instruments with prestigious record labels such as Kairos, Verso, Naxos, etc., and and also collaborates with different radio and television stations.

Due to his inherent concern for education he is invited regularly to teach master classes at numerous prestigious music schools throughout the world like the Manhattan School of Music of New York, the Royal Northern College of Music of Manchester, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London, different Conservatories and Schools of Music in Amsterdam, Geneva, Basel, Strasburg , Peking and Seoul. He teaches at and coordinates the Department of Advanced Degree Qualification in Music and the Master Degree of Percussion at the Centro Superior Katarina Gurska, in Madrid.

Known for his versatility, Matt Fisher is a sought after drummer and percussionist based in London. Matt has performed and collaborated with some of the UK’s most prominent musicians such as; Tina May, Jacqui Dankworth, Najma Akhtar, Nikki Illes, Steve Waterman, Anita Wardell and Christine Tobin. He has toured and performed in the USA, Morocco, Mexico and across Europe.

The wide range of instruments covered across Matt’s projects reflect his versatility, including Drum Set, Cajon, Electronics, Hand Percussion, Tabla, Irish Bodhran, Bongos, Udu Drum, Calabash and the one and only, ‘Washboard!’. As well as having a busy performing and teaching schedule, Matt is also an examiner for Trinity College London and is frequently called upon to examine across the globe, including recent tours to India, Malaysia, South Africa, Italy and the Middle East.

Afra Mussawisade is a multi-world-percussionist pur sang. The musical communication with other musicians is to Afra both “a fascination” and “a great source of joy”.Rhythm is his language, his mother tongue. “His vocabulary consists of oriental drums as well as those at home in western culture”. “Mussawisade is a sheer wizard on his extended percussion set, contributing subtle accompaniment as well as overwhelming virtuosity” Afra was born in 1973 in Teheran (Iran) as son of a famous painter and grew up surrounded by artists and musicians. He was first educated in Persian classical percussion by Arjang Kamkar and the Tonbak-Master Farhangfar. In 1983 he immigrated to Germany where he played piano, cello and started to learn about drums of various cultures. He then studied Latin American Percussion at the Rotterdam Conservatory for Music and Dance (NL) with Luis Conte, Martin Verdonk, Nickey Marrero, Glen Velez and Alex Acuña. He also attended classes and Colleges of Percussion in Santiago de Cuba and Havana (Cuba).

In 2003 he studied South Indian percussion at the Karnataka College of Percussion (India). Through incorporating all these influences he has developed a very unique style and technique, played on an equally original setup. And as he keeps exploring and evolving his music, he continues to refine his setup and adapt it to the musical needs. His fluent skills are much in demand - he has performed and recorded world-wide with artists including WDR Big Band, Till Brönner, Jeffrey Bruinsma, Oene van Geel, Mezzoforte, Drums United, Scapino Ballet, Praful, Manfred Leuchter,

Mr. JIAO Shanlin was born in China Henan Province in 1969, now a teacher of percussion instrument in the China Conservatory of Music since his graduation from the same school in 1993. He has attended four consecutive Korean International Percussion Festival since 1996. In the year of 1999, 2001 and 2004 he was invited by the the Neopercussion School in Spain to hold solo concerts and to deliver master classes in Ritmo Vital.

In 2001 and 2004 he was also invited to the International Percussion Festival ‘Aujourd’hui Musiques’ in France and held solo concerts as well as giving master classes for one week. In 2005 he gave solo concert in the music school of Iowa University in the US. Mr. Jiao is also a founder of the CULTURES PERCUSSION GROUP.

With two Spain percussionist Mr. Juanjo Guillem、Armando and a French percussionist Mr. Philippe Spiesser, this percussion group has successfully hold several concerts in some of the countries, contributing to the promulgation of percussion music in the world.