“Outstanding” percussionist Stephen Solook (Robert Bush, SoundDiego) is a new music specialist who regularly performs as an orchestral and world musician. Looking to connect the past with the future, he highlights the possibilities of sound, beyond traditional notation. As a performer, he has collaborated with many of the country’s preeminent new music ensembles including Bang on a Can All-Stars, Eighth Black Bird, Ensemble Dal Niente, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and San Francisco Chamber Music Players. His duo Aurora Borealis, with soprano Tiffany Du Mouchelle, is noted for their dedication to expanding the repertoire for their instrumentation. Exploring the dynamic relationship of voice and percussion, their performance history, and the acoustic possibilities of each instrument, they have commissioned and premiered countless compositions by composers from around the world.
Solook’s interests in collaboration and heritage have led him to collaborate with artists of diverse backgrounds and mediums. Through the NGO Cultures in Harmony, he collaborated with cultural conservationists in Papua New Guinea, folk musicians and dancers in Cameroon, Egyptian musicians supporting youth advocacy in Alexandria, and as an educator for Programa de Orquestas y Coros Juveniles in Mexico City. As a dance accompanist he was an integral part in the revival of Jose Límon Dance Company’s Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, enjoyed a creative partnership with Preeti Vasudevan, classical Indian dancer, and currently serves as staff accompanist for the University at Buffalo Dance Department.
Throughout Buffalo, Steve can be found performing as an extra percussionist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Slee Sinfonietta at University at Buffalo, or Masti Ensemble, giving a solo performance, or collaborating in one of the city’s many chamber music series. He can be heard in recordings on Bridge, Vortex, and Mode Labels, and as the on screen talent for the popular “Standard of Excellence” snare drum series. His compositions, published by Bachovich Music Publications, offer a reverence to the past while amplifying new possibilities of timbre, expression, and extending technical possibilities of the instruments he writes for.
As an educator, he is committed to making sure every student finds their own voice. In addition, Steve dedicates his research to developing pedagogical practices that aid students with learning disabilities in reading music notation. Dr. Solook received his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of California San Diego, after attending Mannes College, and Ithaca College.
s t e p h e n (dot) s o l o o k (at) g m a i l (dot) c o m