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About the marimba

About the Marimba
via nancyzeltsman.com

MP3 Samples

Performances by Nancy Zeltsman:

• Robert Aldridge: From My Little Island, movement III: “Dance of Passion” Listen
• Gunther Schuller: Marimbology, movement IV: “Toccata” Listen

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Nancy Zeltsman photo by Liz Linder
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Nancy Zeltsman, biography

Nancy Zeltsman is a leading marimba performer, recording artist, teacher, author and founder and Artistic Director of ZMF. She is Chair of the Percussion Department at The Boston Conservatory, and Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music. She has taught at both institutions snce 1993 in positions that were created for her.

Nancy has premiered more than 125 pieces for marimba, including works by Michael Tilson Thomas, Paul Simon, Gunther Schuller, Louis Andriessen, Carla Bley, Steven Mackey, Alejandro Viñao, and Robert Aldridge. Nearly 80 of these were chamber works composed for the marimba/violin duo Marimolin (Sharan Leventhal, violin) with which Nancy performed and recorded from 1985 to 1996. In addition, Nancy has recorded three solo marimba CDs: Sweet Song, See Ya Thursday and Woodcuts—and a duo marimba CD with Jack Van Geem, Pedro and Olga Learn to Dance.

Zeltsman authored a comprehensive marimba method, Four Mallet Marimba Playing: A Musical Approach for All Levels (Hal Leonard Corporation). Intermediate Masterworks for Marimba, 24 new solo concert works released in 2009, is the result of a historic joint-commissioning effort organized by Zeltsman and her assistant Shawn Michalek through ZMF New Music. The collection is published in two volumes edited by Zeltsman (C.F. Peters Corporation), and recorded on a double-CD (Bridge Records) performed by eight marimbists including Zeltsman for which she was Executive Producer.

Nancy endorses Marimba One marimbas and her signature line of mallets produced by Encore Mallets. More information is available at: www.nancyzeltsman.com.

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