"Leading Zafa's uniquly marimba-heavy program, this uninterrupted, meditative solo showcase [Wijeratne's The Spirit and the Dust] gave Graham a much deserved moment in the sun. His technical facility assured a gleaming performance of this intricate, emotionally roving piece, but Graham's thoughtful artistry elevated it to another plane altogether." - Chicago Classical Review, Zafa Collective Opens New Year with Virtuosic Diversity, January 7, 2019
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"One of PtaszyÅ„ska’s most famous works, Graffito for solo marimba, followed. Taking her inspiration from art, PtaszyÅ„ska wrote the piece based on the blocks of color in a painting that was displayed in the room. Joshua Graham wowed with mind-boggling virtuosity in this technically and musically challenging tour de force. His dynamic control was especially notable, as he created musical lines and shapes out of seemingly random processions of notes." Chicago Classical Review, Composer Marta Ptaszynska is Feted in Style by the Zafa Collective, March 19, 2022
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Praised as "beguiling" (Chicago Tribune) and a "superb performer" (Chicago Classical Review), percussionist Dr. Josh Graham has had the pleasure of performing throughout the United States and Canada. He is excited to begin as Percussion Program Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this fall. In addition, he serves as Executive Director and percussionist for the trio F-PLUS, Principal Percussionist of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, and regularly collaborates with the Chen String Quartet (led by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Robert Chen).
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Primarily active in the creation of new works for percussion in both solo and chamber music contexts, Josh has commissioned and premiered chamber works by Jessie Montgomery, Chen Yi, Donnacha Dennehy, George Tsontakis, Marta Ptaszynska, Charles Peck, Gemma Peacocke, Emma O'Halloran, among many others. He made his concerto debut in 2014 at the Aspen Music Festival with Steve Mackey's "Micro-Concerto," and his current project "Music and Literature" pairs new solo marimba works based on poetry and prose, premiered at the author's homes. These recent works include piece by Tina Davidson, Mike Conrad, and Griffin Candey based on the writings of Robert Frost, James Hearst, and Ernest Hemingway, respectively. In funding various commissions and projects, Dr. Graham and his ensembles have received grants from the Fromm Foundation, the Koussevitzky Foundation, New Music USA, Chamber Music America, the Barlow Endowment, the American Music Project, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Irish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of New Zealand, with many of the applications written by Dr. Graham.
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Josh has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the National Gallery of Art, the DiMenna Center, the Princeton Sound Kitchen Series, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Milwaukee Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, the Polish Consulate of Chicago and at dozens of universities across the country. Conference appearances include the New Music Gathering, International Computer Music Conference, the Society of Composers, Inc. Conference, the Northwestern University New Music Conference, and the International Clarinet Association "ClarinetFest." Josh has performed with prominent chamber music groups such as Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Ensemble Dal Niente, ~Nois Saxophone Ensemble, the Sinta Quartet, the Orion Ensemble, Lakeshore Rush, as well as with members of the Emerson Quartet, Silk Road Ensemble, Detroit Symphony, eighth blackbird, and the Bang on a Can All-Stars. His performances have been broadcast on WFMT-Chicago, WBLV-West Michigan, and WPRB-Princeton.
In addition to his orchestral work with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, Graham has performed with the Dubuque Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, West Michigan Symphony, Midland Symphony (MI), Michigan Philharmonic, and in the summers as Principal Timpanist with the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra. Festival experience includes the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, the Ear Taxi Festival, the Chicago Duo Piano Festival, the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, and two summers as the percussionist with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival.
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Dr. Graham is committed to serving the next generation as an educator. He served as Instructor of Percussion at the University of Northern Iowa from 2022-24, and previously served on the faculty of Triton College, Roosevelt University, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He has also had the honor of giving percussion master classes across the country including at the University of Iowa, the University of Maryland, the University of Delaware, the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Illinois State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, among many others.
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Dr. Graham holds degrees from Central Michigan University (BM), The University of Michigan (MM), and the University of Illinois (DMA). He is proud to endorse Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Marimba One instruments, Zildjian Cymbals, and Black Swamp Percussion Instruments.
