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     Multi-faceted percussionist and educator Peter James Saleh (b. 1977) has been studying and performing music for over 18 years. He is a founding member of the Exit 9 Percussion Group, with whom he has performed over 200 times. Specific notable performances with and without Exit 9 include Princeton’s McCarter Theater, The Juilliard School, the Jeju International Brass Festival in Jeju, South Korea, Seoul University, Zimmerli and Montclair Art Museums, NJPAC, Dallas' Bass Hall, Laguardia School for the Performing Arts, NYC's Town Hall, Raritan Valley Community College, TMEA, Drew University, NJ's Count Basie and Two Rivers theaters, NJMEA, and Rutgers University in addition to dozens of NJ/LI/PA school districts.  He has also performed with renowned artists Matthew Barney, Bob Becker, Tigger Benford, Jonathan Bepler, Simon Boyar, Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, Ney Rosauro, and She-e Wu and performed and recorded under conductor Eugene Corporon with the North Texas Wind Symphony on the GIA and Klavier labels.

Eager to contribute to the ever evolving percussion repertoire, Saleh has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with composer Dajeong 'Juliana' Choi which has included 5 world premier performances of her compositions.   He also helped lead a consortium commission of composer Bruce Hamilton for percussion quartet with tape.  His own composition for percussion quintet ExitIX Novum received second place in the 2007 PAS Composition Contest and other ensemble scores of his are performed throughout the country.  Additionally, his Trio for Flute, Cello, and Marimba was premiered by the HELIX! contemporary music ensemble.  He is published through Keyboard Percussion Publications, Innovative Percussion, Drop6 Media (coming soon), RowLoff Productions, and HoneyRock Publications (coming soon).

In addition to the above and freelance work in New Jersey including the Monmouth Symphony, he has also performed steadily for years as a modern dance accompanist in NJ and NY, blending his affinity for improvised music with an inventive ‘multi-percussionist’s’ approach.  He has appeared at ACDFA, and was the resident composer/accompanist for Christian Von Howard at ‘Terpsichore III’ in South Carolina and with Paul Taylor Alumna Raegan Wood-Sanders at SYPW 2006 at NJPAC.  Saleh was also a performer with the 1998 Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps and has been able to apply that experience to several award winning high school programs since then.

As an educator and conductor, Peter founded the Central Jersey Youth Percussion Ensemble, which he directed for four seasons, and has also guest lectured at the Juilliard pre-college and Rutgers University and fellowed at the University of North Texas.  He is a member of BMI and PAS.  His conducting experiences extend past those of the premieres of his own music, to that of Warren Benson, Carlos Chavez, David Gillingham, and others.

Saleh holds Bachelors or Arts and Bachelors of Music Performance degrees from Rutgers University and a Masters degree in percussion performance with a minor in composition from the University of North Texas.  He is grateful to have studied with fantastic teachers including Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, Dr. Robert Schietroma, Ed Soph, Leigh Stevens, and She-e Wu as well as composition with Dr. Joseph Klein, Dr. John Mallia, and Dr. James Worlton.

(Short Bio)

 

5/1/08:  I've just finished a run of performances with Exit 9 of my new score for dance, "This Will Hurt Nobody" and it was a total blast!  Thanks to Ken, Mike, Britton, Bob, Christian, and all twelve dancers for a great experience.

12/10/07:  A recording of my marimba chorale duet 'For Juliana' is now up.  Also newly posted: Synthesized audio of 'S. G. Soca,' 'ExitIX Novum' notes, and a score sample of Toybox.

11/30/07:  The new recording of my 'Trio for Flute, Marimba, and Cello' by musicians I-Yun Tu (fl.), Nathan Sankary (mba.) and Michael Holak (vc) is now up.  Also, links to recordings of my 'Alla Turca' and 'Allegro Prestissimo' arrangements have been updated.

11/24/07:  Check out Exit 9's performance highlight video.

10/24/07:  A live recording of my arrangement of Sergio Assad's Jobiniana No. 1 is now posted.

9/13/07:  My award winning composition ExitIX Novum is set to be published by Innovative Percussion this fall

9/10/07:  My Trio for Flute, Cello, and Marimba will be premiered by Paul Hoffman's HELIX! contemporary music ensemble this fall.

9/6/07:  My book A Percussionist's Handbook, now in its seventh edition, is going to be used in the curriculum at Ithaca College this year.

7/27/07:  My composition, ExitIX Novum, has been awarded second place in the 2007 PAS Percussion Ensemble Composition Competition!

News Archive

 

  

 

Performance Clips: Publishing info is credited in the file where applicable

 

Solo/Chamber Percussion Repertoire

Concert Percussion

Drumset

Improvised Solo Music for Dance

        Also, thanks for the kind words, Ed.

Conducting/Compositions/Coachings

Rudimental Drumming

 

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