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     Multi-faceted percussionist and educator Peter James Saleh  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. His notable performances with and without Exit 9 include Princeton’s McCarter Theater, The Juilliard School, the Jeju International Brass Festival,  Seoul University, Zimmerli and Montclair Art Museums, NJPAC, the George Street Playhouse, Dallas' Bass Hall, Laguardia School for the Performing Arts, NYC's Town Hall, the New York Musical Theater Festival at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, TMEA, Western Washington University, Drew University, NJ's Count Basie and Two Rivers theaters, NJMEA, and Rutgers University in addition to many many NJ/LI/PA school districts.  He has also performed with renowned artists Matthew Barney, Bob Becker, Tigger Benford, 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's collaborative work with composer Dajeong 'Juliana' Choi includes 5 world premier performances of her compositions.   He led the commission of composer Bruce Hamilton to write 'Stamino Sosti' for percussion quartet with tape, which he premiered with Exit 9 in May 2008.  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, and RowLoff Productions.

In addition to the above and freelance work in New Jersey including the Monmouth Symphony and Bravura Philharmonic, he has also performed steadily for years as a modern dance musician in NJ and NY, blending his affinity for improvised music with an inventive ‘multi-percussionist’s’ approach.  In addition to scoring works by NJ/NY choreographers, Peter has appeared at ACDFA, performedand worked with Paulette Sears and Julia Ritter, and was the resident composer/accompanist for Christian Von Howard at ‘Terpsichore III’ in South Carolina and with Paul Taylor Alumna Raegan Wood at SYPW 2006 and 2008 at Newark, NJ's NJPAC. 

As an educator, Saleh has placed students into some of the percussion best programs in the country, founded and directs the Central Jersey Youth Percussion Ensemble, guest-lectured at Rutgers University and the Juilliard pre-college, and fellowed at the University of North Texas, and has served as a teaching artist for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Young Audiences of NJ.   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 was also a performer with the 1998 Crossmen  and 1996-1997 Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and has been able to apply that experience to several award winning high school programs since then.

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, Tommy Igoe, 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)

 

10/5/08:  Video of the Exit 9/Von Howard/Saleh collaboration, This Will Hurt Nobody is now posted.

9/5/08:  I've just posted my updated resume.

8/28/08:  Recordings of two recent scores for dance, This Will Hurt Nobody and We Are Living, have now been posted.

8/6/08:  My recent collaboration "Are We Living?" with NJPAC choreographer Raegan Wood-Sanders and SYPW premiered to very positive reviews last week and there is talk of the piece living on with a future performance in the coming year.  Here is an extract of my original score, which featured my first use of voice samples and pre-recorded accompaniment tracks (more samples coming).   Also, I've posted the outline for a percussion clinic for dancers I recently gave.

6/20/08:  Congratulations to all of my students and the 2008 CJYPE for an incredible recital yesterday!  Look for highlights and media posted by the end of summer.

6/1/08:  Exit 9 just returned from a successful venture out to the west coast to premiere our commission of stellar composer and Western Washington University faculty member, Bruce Hamilton.  While there, we performed an evening concert as well as a general audience program.  We also conducted a clinic with the WWU percussion ensemble.

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.

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