Biographies

2020-21 SEA SON

BIOGRAPHIES

ERIC LU, piano Eric Lu won First Prize at The Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018, the first American to win the prestigious prize since Murray Perahia. He made his BBC Proms debut the following summer at the Royal Albert Hall, and is currently a member of the BBC New Generation Artist scheme. Born in Massachusetts in 1997, Lu first came to international attention as a prize-winner at the 2015 Chopin International Competition in Warsaw aged just 17. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Robert McDonald and Jonathan Biss. He is also a pupil of Dang Thai Son.

THIRD COAST PERCUSSION Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy Award-winning, artist-run quartet of classically -trained percussionists hailing from Chicago. For over ten years, the ensemble has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, and the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings. The four members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers, and since 2013, have served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

RON MYLES, movement artist Ron Myles was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, in a neighborhood called Orange Mound. Growing up as the only dancer in the area, Myles described his friends and family as his greatest inspiration and motivation. In 2009, Myles moved to Los Angeles with his cousin and close friend Charles “Lil Buck” Riley, and has since become one of the premier interpreters of the style of dance known as Memphis Jookin’.

QUENTIN ROBINSON, movement artist Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Quentin Robinson is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and various other locations on combat tours. Robinson is the Founder and CEO of Movement 4 Movements, a nonprofit organization centered on using movement to help individuals navigate their way through mental and physical trauma and dissociation. Among other platforms, he was also featured on the Netflix series Move, and he directed, produced and wrote the short films Breaking Barriers, Tis Of Thee and Black Magic, in which he starred. Robinson hopes to ignite the spark of dance and movement in every person he has the opportunity to work with.

MOVEMENT ART IS Movement Art Is, co-founded by Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, is an organization that uses movement artistry to inspire and change the world while elevating the artistic, educational, and social impact of dance. Through movement art films, workshops, performances and exhibitions, MAI is resetting the spectrum of what dance is. The duo recently choreographed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago with music composed by Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) performed by Third Coast Percussion, and is currently touring a new full length show Love Heals All Wounds.

LESLIE BUXBAUM DANZIG, stage director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig is delighted to work with Third Coast Percussion again, after stage directing TCP’s previous projects Wild Sound, composed by Glenn Kotche, and Paddle to the Sea. As collaborating director with the dance-theater company Lucky Plush Productions, Danzig has worked on Rink Life (NEFA National Theater Project Award), Rooming House, The Queue (NEFA National Dance Project Award), and The Better Half. For over a decade, Danzig was co-founder and resident director of the Chicago-based physical theater company 500 Clown, which toured throughout the US. She is Assistant Professor of Practice in Theater and Performance Studies, University of Chicago.

JOE BURKE, lighting and video design Joe Burke is a Chicago based designer specializing in visual design for live performance. Since 2005, he has been working in the live entertainment business as a designer, manager, programmer, and technician. As a designer with a music inspired background, Burke brings a unique perspective to the projects he works on. At his core, he is a collaborator that shares in enhancing and elevating every project he works on. Burke molds his art to meet the aesthetic of each project by working with an open mind, offering his experience to others, and inviting others to influence his artistry.

JAZZY ASH AND THE LEAPING LIZARDS Ashli St. Armant is a celebrated vocalist, writer, and arts educator. She tours the United States with her band, Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards, performing jazz for young audiences. Together they have performed at numerous venues including Lincoln Center and Sprout Network (NBC), produced four albums, and have been featured by NPR and LA Times. St. Armant has 17 years of experience in education and 21 years experience in performing arts. She is a professionally trained singer and actor and holds a degree in child development from Saddleback College.

PHOTO CREDITS: Cover: Third Coast Percussion © Saverio Truglia; Page 2: Lil Buck Courtesy of Artist; Page 5: E. Lu © Ben Ealovega; Page 8: Third Coast Percussion © Saverio Truglia; Page 11: Jazzy Ash and The Leaping Lizards © Brock Christoval; Page 12: E. Lu © Ben Ealovega, Third Coast Percussion © Saverio Truglia; Page 13: R. Myles Courtesy of Artist, Q. Robinson © Laurie Z. Devine, J. Boogz & Lil Buck © Michael Cobarrubia; Page 14: L. B. Danzig © Joe Mazza, Jazzy Ash and The Leaping Lizards © Brock Christoval; Page 15: CMC student; Page 16: W. Marsalis © Frank Stewart, Malpaso Dance © Todd Rosenberg, C. Pato © Xan Padron, J. Ash Courtesy of Artist, Mountain Lion © Filipe DeAndrade, D. Lamarr © Rosie Cohe, C. Sands © Anna Webber, Third Coast Percussion © Saverio Truglia, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles Courtesy of Artists, Apollon Musagete Quartet Courtesy of Artists, Z. Fung © I. Jung Huang, J. Dalene © Nikolaj Lund.