FULL BIOGRAPHY (~950 words)

Adam Tan (b. 1994) (he/him) is a marimba soloist, composer, educator and content creator based in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia). 

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​​Adam has performed hundreds of solo performances and delivered over 50 clinics and masterclasses to audiences in Argentina, Australia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. Highlights include solo clinic "The Self-Made Percussionist" to a full house at the 49th Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC 2024), University of Memphis, Arkansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University, University of North Alabama, VCS Conservatory of the Arts Lamar University, Foster High School, West Fork High School, Ridge Point High School (USA), JMS Aster Plaza, inc. percussion days in Sagamiko (Japan), Taipei National University of the Arts, Chinese Culture University, National Sun-Yat Sen University, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Luodong Senior High School, Kaohsiung Senior High School, Wu-Ling Senior High School (Taiwan), PAS Hong Kong Days of Percussion, 505A Percussion Gathering, Oh! Asian Percussionists Series (Hong Kong), Malaysia Percussion Festival, UWA Conservatorium of Music and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Australia), and online masterclasses for Victoriano Lopez Music School (Honduras), the Conservatorio Superior de Música Ástor Piazzolla (Argentina), University of Texas Austin and Southern Utah University (USA),

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As a composer, Adam's works for percussion are performed by thousands annually and appear on compulsory repertoire lists in schools, competitions and festivals around the world, including the UIL Texas Prescribed Music List (PML), Trinity College London Diploma Repertoire List and FBA Bandmasters Association Solo List. Adam's works are available to listen to on all music streaming platforms and stores and sheet music is available on his online store, Edition Svitzer and all major sheet music retailers. Adam's work has been featured multiple times in Percussive Notes, Cut Common Magazine, and @ Percussion.

 

Adam has also served as faculty and/or adjudicator for the HKYMI Western Percussion Ensemble Contest (Hong Kong), Austin Percussion Festival,  Black Swamp Percussion Solo & Ensemble Showcase, MalletLab Summer Intensive (USA), Marimbafests 2021-2024, D2Drumline's National Drumline Camp, Australian Percussion Eisteddfod, WA Day of Percussion and Garland Music Festival (Australia).

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With a combined reach of 50,000+ followers and 10 million+ views, Adam is often recognised for his content creation endeavours across YouTube and Instagram. Adam has an online course about creating your own career path hosted by The Percussion Conservatory (USA) entitled "The Self-Made Percussionist Starter Pack". In recognition of his work in this area, Adam was invited by Taiwan's Ju Percussion Group as a VIP guest at the 11th Taiwan International Percussion Convention (TIPC) 2023 in Taipei.

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​In 2021, Adam started development on a signature series of marimba mallets, the Encore Mallets Adam Tan series (developed in conjunction with Encore Mallets/Salyers Percussion). Its alpaca wool yarn, oversized round SBR core and latex wrap creates the signature warmth, weight and clarity that Adam uses in not only his music, but most other marimba solo styles as well. The AT series launched in July 2022 and has already sold over 1,000 pairs in stores worldwide, including Steve Weiss Music (USA), Percussion Source (USA). Sweetwater (USA), Southern Percussion (UK), PercussionSpirit (Hong Kong), CCPercussion (Taiwan), Optimum Percussion (Australia), Music Spice Hiroshima and Japan Percussion Center (Japan).

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In 2023, Adam also spent five months developing a new travel backpack for everyday percussionists called THE TRAVELLER By Adam Tan. Produced in collaboration with HAOSEN Wooden Instruments (Taiwan), THE TRAVELLER houses 20 pairs of mallets with all your everyday items in a convenient and travel-minded package with secret compartments, luggage strap, sternum strap, double-stitched padded handles and free-standing base. THE TRAVELLER was launched at PASIC 2023, selling out on its first day of release and is stocked by retailers worldwide including Steve Weiss Music and more (USA).

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Back home, Adam is Founder and Executive Director of Marimbafest Australia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of percussive arts in Australia. Marimbafest Australia curates the annual international marimba festival and competition Marimbafest (with festivals in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024). In 2024, in recognition of his event leadership, Adam was nominated for the CEWA Young Leadership Award in the 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards. ​Adam currently directs private lessons at his Perth studio, THE STUDIO by Adam Tan. Adam is sessional academic staff at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and served as a lecturer and percussion tutor at the UWA Conservatorium of Music from 2019 to 2022.

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Adam has a Master of Music (Research, Percussion) and Bachelor of Music (1st Class Hons) from the UWA Conservatorium of Music, receiving the Lady Callaway Medal for Music, Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) Prize in Third-Year Performance, ROSL Postgraduate Scholarship, UWA Graduates Prize in Music and the Australian Postgraduate Award. Adam was under the tutelage of Paul Tanner, Nicole Turner, Tim White and Louise Devenish and received mentorship from Mark Applebaum, Kuniko Kato, Doug Perkins, Suyin Tan and Nancy Zeltsman.

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Adam is a Premier Artist of Marimba One (USA) who performs on a Marimba One Izzy (Traditional/Classic), and is a Signature Artist of Encore Mallets and Salyers Percussion (USA) with the Encore Mallets Adam Tan mallet series. Adam's music is published by Edition Svitzer (Denmark). Adam is also an Artist Endorser for Black Swamp Percussion (USA), and created 'THE TRAVELLER by Adam Tan', a backpack for everyday percussionists with HAOSEN (Taiwan). Adam is also an Artist for Soundbrenner (Hong Kong) and uses the Minuendo earplugs, Bluetooth Pedal, Smartphone Microphone and Core 2 metronome smartwatch. Adam is also an Associate Artist with the Australian Music Centre and a Course Creator and Instructor with The Percussion Conservatory.

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SHORT BIOGRAPHY (~200 words)

Adam Tan (b. 1994) (he/him) is a marimba soloist, composer and content creator based in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia). 

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With a combined reach of 50,000+ followers and 10 million+ views and having only just turned 30, Adam has performed hundreds of solo performances and delivered over 50 masterclasses to audiences in Argentina, Australia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. ​As a composer, Adam's works for percussion are performed by thousands annually and appear on compulsory repertoire lists in schools, competitions and festivals around the world.

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​Adam is also the Founder and Executive Director of Marimbafest Australia, a non-profit organisation that curates the annual international marimba festival and competition Marimbafest (with festivals in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024). Adam is also the director of a percussion studio in Perth/Boorloo, THE STUDIO by Adam Tan.

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Adam is a Premier Artist of Marimba One, Signature Artist of Encore Mallets and Salyers Percussion with the Encore Mallets Adam Tan mallet series, Composer with Edition Svitzer, Artist Endorser for Black Swamp Percussion, Designer of 'THE TRAVELLER by Adam Tan' with HAOSEN, Artist for Soundbrenner and Associate Artist with the Australian Music Centre and a Course Creator and Instructor with The Percussion Conservatory.