San Juan College welcomes Dr. Darin Kamstra to Jazz Festival

  Dr. Darin Kamstra performs with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra as principal timpanist/percussionist. He plays drumset with the Grand Junction Rockestra and Colorado Mesa University Faculty Jazz Quintet, and appears frequently as a percussion and jazz clinician and recitalist regionally and nationally. He served as principal timpanist of the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with professional orchestras, jazz groups and music theater companies throughout Colorado, Illinois and the Pacific Northwest.

From San Juan College:

            The San Juan College Jazz Big Band, led by Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Teun Fetz, will be backing up special guest percussionist Dr. Darin Kamstra to highlight the 18^th annual Jazz Festival, on Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m., in the Henderson Fine Arts Center Performance at San Juan College.

            The College Jazz Big Band will feature an evening that will include tunes on their own as well as with Dr. Kamstra. Dr. Kamstra will perform solos and do small group combo work with Director Delbert Anderson on trumpet and a full rhythm section. There will be a clinic at 12 p.m. noon for anyone interested, especially middle school and high school students attending the festival.

            Dr. Darin Kamstra performs with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra as principal timpanist/percussionist. He plays drumset with the Grand Junction Rockestra and Colorado Mesa University Faculty Jazz Quintet, and appears frequently as a percussion and jazz clinician and recitalist regionally and nationally. He served as principal timpanist of the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with professional orchestras, jazz groups and music theater companies throughout Colorado, Illinois and the Pacific Northwest.

Also an active composer and arranger, Kamstra’s works are published by Tapspace, Walrus Music Publications and Grand Mesa Music Publishers. These works have been featured at regional, national and international conventions and at universities across the United States. He is a contributor to the Percussive Arts Society Online Research Journal and a regional education artist for Pearl/Adams Percussion.

            Dr. Kamstra earned his doctorate of musical arts at the University of Illinois. He is currently a professor of music at Colorado Mesa University and Director of Jazz Studies and Percussion. Kamstra teaches jazz ensemble, jazz combo, jazz improvisation, percussion ensemble, percussion lessons, percussion pedagogy and advanced music technology.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and $12 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available online at sanjuancollege.edu/silhouette. For further information or to purchase tickets in person, contact the San Juan College Box Office at 505-566-3430.