 

Photos of Nancy & ZMF group: www.claudiahansen.com

Photos of BoCo faculty: Justin Baggett

The Boston Conservatory
Berklee College of Music
Zeltsman Marimba Festival
See below for details.
Contact Nancy re: guest Master Classes & private lessons.
RECOMMENDED MARIMBA SOLOS link in left column.
Links to Articles at the bottom of this page.

www.ZMF.us

Over the past ten years, one of Nancy’s biggest passions has been her annual, two-week summer marimba festival. She plans the event throughout the year. With a focus on concert marimba performance, its mission is two-fold: educational and cultural.

The festival brings together 40 to 50 marimbists from around the world to share their music in a seminar environment. Participants attend concerts, master classes and talks, take private lessons, practice, rehearse with ensembles, and perform. Many have described ZMF as a “life changing” experience.

ZMF features its world-class faculty (who change each year) in a series of concerts open to the public. The music spans a range of styles from classical to contemporary, jazz and folk music.

Changing location from year to year enables ZMF to reach more participants, and to bring its world-class concert series to various communities. The ultimate goal is greater appreciation for the marimba as a concert instrument. The event has occurred five times in Appleton, WI, twice in Boston, MA; and once each in Princeton, NJ, Los Angeles, CA; Princeton, NJ; and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

There is no audition required to attend as a participant. The minimum age is 18, and participants have ranged in age up to 55. Most are in their early-to-mid 20s. Attending ZMF can be a fantastic means of becoming acquainted with Nancy’s (and other faculty members’) musical values and teaching approach.

Zeltsman Marimba Festival 2009

www.bostonconservatory.edu
Audition Requirements
Contact: admissions@bostonconservatory.edu

Percussion Faculty  Nancy Zeltsman, Chair of Percussion / Marimba
Samuel Z. Solomon, Coordinator of Percussion Studies  Keith Aleo (percussion)  John Grimes (timpani)

The Boston Conservatory is a small, private conservatory (about 750 students total) with a unique triple focus on music, dance and theater. Since 1993, Zeltsman has taught marimba to graduate-level marimba majors as well as all levels of percussion students (freshmen through graduate level).

Percussionists have numerous performing opportunities including The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble, theater, opera and dance productions, and chamber music. Marimbists focus on solos, duos, marimba ensembles and mixed chamber music as well as expanding and personalizing their repertoire through adaptations. The studio is comprised of between 20 to 24 percussion and marimba majors.

Students may divide their 14 private lessons each semester between up to three faculty members. The Boston Conservatory (“BoCo”) is part of the Pro Arts Consortium, an association of six Boston schools which enables cross-registration of elective courses. One of these is the nearby Berklee College of Music at which our students may choose from numerous specialized courses in such areas as jazz improvisation, Afro-Cuban hand-drumming, African drumming and dancing, and other world musics.

At The Boston Conservatory, we strive to educate well-versed, well-rounded musicians while recognizing the value of individualism and students’ desires to develop special interests within the enormously diverse field of percussion.

Our graduates go on to varied careers, including orchestral positions and playing with new music ensembles and theater companies. Former students have won positions in the Malaysian Philharmonic, the Portland Symphony (Maine), and Orchestra Iowa. They have freelanced with the New World Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Kansai Philharmonic.

Past marimba students have embarked on impressive solo careers. One has a recording contract with Sony/Japan; one teaches marimba at the Hochschule für Musik-Detmold, Germany; another teaches percussion and marimba at University of Oregon.They have won numerous competitions including Young Concert Artists (two different players), Concert Artists Guild, the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg National Young Artist Competition (two different players), the Belgium International Marimba Competition, the Prix d’ Europe (Québec, Canada), Southern California Marimba Competition (1st prize), and the Percussive Arts Society Marimba Competition (1st prize; 2nd prize - two different players).

www.berklee.edu
Contact: admissions@berklee.edu
Berklee Percussion Festival (via Summer Programs)
Berklee Percussion Department Handbook (PDF)

38 professors comprise Berklee College of Music’s Percussion Department—each teaching a specialized area.

Berklee College of Music is the only college in the world (to Nancy's knowledge) that enables specialized study in marimba at the undergraduate level. There, Zeltsman teaches private marimba lessons, Marimba Transcriptions and Repertoire Lab, Marimba in Mixed Chamber Music Ensemble, and two levels of Marimba Ensemble.
Berklee has a total of about 4100 students. The percussion department includes about 600 students who may declare their "principal instrument" as Drum Set, Hand Percussion, Total Percussion, Marimba, Vibraphone, or Steel Drum.
Possible majors at Berklee include: Performance, Professional Music, Music Education, Music Therapy, Music Production and Engineering, Music Business/Management, Contemporary Writing and Production, Electronic Production and Design, Composition, Jazz Composition, Songwriting, and Film Scoring.
In the summers, the Berklee Percussion Festival provides a great opportunity to become acquainted with Boston, the college, and its faculty. Some of its many illustrious members include Eguie Castrillo & Mikael Ringquist – hand percussion; Mark Walker, Terri Lyne Carrington & Kim Plainfield, drum set; Dave Samuels & Ed Saindon – vibes; Richard Flanagan & Dean Anderson, total percussion; & Joe Galeota – African percussion.
John Ramsay is Chair; Yoron Israel is Assistant Chair.

SELECTED ARTICLES BY NANCY PUBLISHED IN PERCUSSIVE NOTES MAGAZINE

• Inside a Marimba Competition  February 2002 / Vol. 40, No. 1
 
• Commissioning New Music October 1999 / Vol. 37, No. 5 

• Ian Finkel: The Xylomaster October 1999 / Vol. 37, No. 5 

• Musings on the Marimba and Its Study, 1997 / Part 1 (Musings on the Marimba) October 1997 / Vol. 35, No. 5 

• Musings on the Marimba and Its Study, 1997 / Part 2 (The Marimba and Its Study) December 1997 / Vol. 35, No. 6 

Traditional Four-Mallet Grip August 1995 / Vol. 33, No. 4

Four-Mallet Marimba Playing

A Musical Approach for All Levels

(issued 2003, Hal Leonard Corporation)

Buy it here.

“3rd Edition,” fully corrected (May 2008)

Errata (PDF) for “Revised Edition”

Errata (PDF) for 1st edition (2003)

“She has written what

may be the most comprehensive method

for four mallet marimba published to date. One of the unique features is the emphasis on artistic thought and imagination.”

– Robert McCormick, Professor of Music, University of South Florida

The book comprises five sections providing text on basic issues, refinements, and commentary on selected repertoire; 50 Short Four-Mallet Studies, and 18 Adapted Solos (including Zeltsman’s transcription of Michael Hedges’ Ragamuffin.)

Intermediate Masterworks for Marimba, vol. 1 & vol. 2

Edited by Nancy Zeltsman

24 diverse, great pieces!

Corresponding double-CD!

Buy them here.

This was a special project of

ZMF New Music.

RECOMMENDED MARIMBA SOLOS

RecomMbaSolos.pdf (1/11)

A list of marimba solos Nancy recommends (for all levels)

Keith, Mr. Grimes Sam, Nancy

Degrees Offered
• BM (percussion)
• MM (marimba or percussion,

and Music Education)
• GPD (Graduate Performance

Diploma; marimba or perc.)
• ADP (Artist Diploma; marimba

or percussion; very selective)

Degrees Offered
• Bachelor of Music
• Professional Diploma

“Thank you so much for the terrific, educational and inspiring Master Class you did for us. You are truly a Virtuoso and Master of the marimba.

Your musical concepts, approach to performing the instrument, and personal sensitivity in both your playing and teaching are incomparable.”

– Glenn Steele, Professor of Percussion, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

“It was really wonderful to hear you play again and to hear you share your thoughts about music making, not to mention the thoughtful way that you worked with the students. Refreshing and wonderful!”

– Doug Perkins, Dartmouth College, NH PAS Chapter President