Dr. Brian Zator to Give Solo Marimba Recital

Dr. Brian Zator, director of percussion at A&M-Commerce, will give a solo marimba recital Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jack and Lou Finney Concert Hall of the Music Building. The event is open to the public, and admission is free.

Zator, a student of world-renowned Japanese composer and marimba artist Keiko Abe, has performed in Japan, Brazil and Australia as well as various venues across the United States. In February 2012, Zator performed at Carnegie Hall with the university's wind ensemble and chorale.

The marimba recital will serve as Zator's preview concert before a trip to Europe, where he will perform in Switzerland in a duo concert with pipa virtuoso Yang Jing. The pair will perform as a part of the “Along the Silk Road” Concert Series at the Rietberg Museum on Sept. 4. At the International Katarzyna Mycka Marimba Academy in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Zator will serve as a faculty artist, performing several concerts and teaching private lessons for the Academy's students in mid-September.

In addition to teaching percussion methods and literature courses at A&M-Commerce, Zator gives applied lessons for undergraduate and graduate students. Zator oversees the classical and marching percussion ensembles as well as the “Panimation” Steel Drum Band and the “Samba Leão” Brazilian Ensemble. He is in his 13th year as A&M-Commerce's director of percussion.

Zator is also the primary keyboard artist for the iPhone application, Pocket Percussion Teacher, which provides video tutorials for the marimba, a keyboard percussion instrument akin to the xylophone.