Dr. Francisco Perez (b. 1990) is a percussionist, composer, and educator from Pflugerville, TX. He currently serves as Instructional Associate Professor of Percussion Performance at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX.

As an active performer, he has accepted international engagements in Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Spain, and China, and toured extensively throughout the United States. He has performed with various professional ensembles such as the Symphony of Southeast Texas (Principal Timpani), the Lexington Philharmonic, and is a founding member of the BlueSHIFT Percussion Quartet. Dedicated to the expansion of chamber percussion music, BlueSHIFT has performed throughout Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

As an active composer, Francisco is privileged to have a wide variety of published works with several ensemble commissions from the University of Kentucky, Texas Christian University, Northwestern State University, University of Texas at Arlington, as well as solo commissions for a variety of artists throughout the US. His works have been performed at The Midwest Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Texas Music Educators Association convention, and are published by Tapspace Publications and C. Alan Publications.

In the marching arts, Francisco has played snare drum for The Cavaliers (2011 & 2012) and Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps (2010). In 2011, he helped secure the prestigious Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance under the direction of Mike McIntosh and Dr. Brian Tinkel. Additionally, he has served as arranger, visual designer, and instructor for various award-winning high school and college drumlines across the country.

Francisco received his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master’s in Percussion Performance from the University of Kentucky under Prof. James Campbell. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University under Dr. Brian West.

Francisco proudly endorses Marimba One, Innovative Percussion, Black Swamp Percussion, and the Zildjian Company as an Educational Artist. For more information about Francisco and his compositions/arrangements, please visit: www.perezperc.com.

Dr. Lynn Vartan is an internationally renowned music performer and educator, known for her collaborative performances and artistry as well as her dynamic warmth and energy on stage. She has been multiple times Grammy nominated and was a performer on an album that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She has been invited internationally to perform and teach in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Mexico, Columbia, England, Romania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Denmark among others, and is currently a US Fulbright Specialist. Dr. Vartan is endorsed by the Paiste Corporation, Remo Inc. and Marimba One, and has a signature series of marimba mallets developed for her with Marimba One.

As a concerto soloist Lynn has performed with various orchestras including the Hubei Opera and Dance Company of Wuhan, China, the Sierra Wind Symphony, The Helena Symphony, The Cheyanne Symphony, The Orchestra of Southern Utah, Southwest Chamber Music, and has premiered new concertos by both American and Chinese composers. She has participated in cultural exchange projects such as the “World Percussion Group,” “Ascending Dragon” Project in Vietnam, “The Dream of Helen “project and China and the “East Meets West” project designed around her as a soloist in Wuhan, China.

As a new music percussionist Lynn has worked with Michael Colgrass, Vinny Golia, Arthur Jarvinen, Ursula Oppens, Joan Tower, Glen Velez, Xtet, James Newton, Chinary Ung, the Hilliard Ensemble, the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble and Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music. She has commissioned and/or performed nearly 50 new works for percussion by composers such as Donald Crockett, William Kraft, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Steve Hoey, Veronika Krausas, Erica Muhl, Arthur Jarvinen, Sean Heim, Jeff Holmes, Keith Bradshaw and Shaun Naidoo. Lynn has recorded on the ECM New Series, Albany Records, Cuneifroms Records, Bridge Records New World Records, Lian Records, Yarlung Records, and Cambria. Her current chamber music projects include Darkwood Duo (clarinet and percussion), Duo Vís (violin and percussion) and Duo LinLynn (percussion duo).

Lynn is currently Professor of Percussion Interarts at Texas A&M University, where she build programs and projects that bring together the worlds of music with dance, film, design, theatre and all the visual and performing arts.

Dr. Mark Boseman is a percussionist who specializes in both contemporary solo percussion as well as contemporary chamber music. His performances encompass a variety of styles that range from standard orchestral repertoire and contemporary chamber music to popular music styles. In addition, Mark has performed with a wide variety of ensembles ranging from the Civic Orchestra of Chicago to small chamber groups.

Recently, Dr. Boseman performed with the Eastman Broadband, a new music ensemble comprised of past and present Eastman students. In 2010, he accompanied the Eastman Broadband on their tour of New York City, Mexico City and the Cervantino Arts Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico. Dr. Boseman has been a featured soloist with the University of Arkansas and the Northwestern University percussion ensembles. In 2008, he accompanied Michael Burritt and the Northwestern Percussion Ensemble on their residency at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart, Germany. He is also the recent recipient of the Eastman School of Music’s prestigious performer’s certificate.

Dr. Boseman holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Arkansas and Northwestern University and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music. His primary teachers have included Michael Burritt, Chalon Ragsdale, Bill Cahn, James Ross, Charles Ross, Rich Thompson and Paul Wertico.