Performance Possibilities

Solo Marimba Recital

See Reviews.

Michael Tilson Thomas’ Island Music

features Nancy & Jack Van Geem, marimbas with two tutti (or back-up) marimbas and two percussionists

A major 35-minute work… and it's a doozy, beginning in mystery and closing in riotous celebration. The island in question is Bali… But the piece also reflects… the melting pot of American popular music of the '30s, and Tilson Thomas' informed knowledge of… folk-influenced concert works. The performance… was simply sensational.

— Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

Marimba Clinics and Master Classes

See Reviews.

• Presentations can be one to three hours long. (Two hours is most common).
• Residencies of one to three days can also be arranged.
• Nancy can tailor a clinic or master class to particular groups of marimbists and percussionists at a conservatory, university or college; for a statewide Day of Percussion; or at a regional festival.
• The difference between a "clinic" and "master class" is that the latter includes performances by a few students who wish to receive feedback. Students observing usually benefit from this as well.
• All sessions usually begin with a ten to 20-minute performance by Nancy, which is followed by a presentation on various topics. She encourages questions and discussion.
• Topics often include: tone production, articulation techniques, mallet selection, interpretation and expression, phrasing techniques, sticking choices, rolling techniques, body posture/movement, "Traditional" four-mallet grip, developing sight-reading skills

Marimba Demonstration for Composers

Includes a ten to 20-minute performance and talk on basic considerations when scoring for marimba. Nancy will sight-read and comment on any sketches students have composed for marimba.

Study with Zeltsman

At Zeltsman Marimba Festival

ZMF, an annual two-week summer intensive (usually in July), is a fabulous forum at which to immerse oneself in marimba performance practice as well as the components of well-rounded musicianship. It is an excellent introduction to Nancy's teaching approach and that of the other faculty members (who change from year to year). The concert series offers a sensational array of great mallet players and diverse music. Past participants have frequently summed up the experience as "life-changing."

Every odd-numbered year, ZMF takes place at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. The location changes in even-numbered years. For complete details, visit: www.ZMF.us.

At The Boston Conservatory

The Boston Conservatory is one of only several institutions in the world that offer graduate-level degrees in Marimba. Past students have won the Young Concerts Artists and Concert Artist Guild competitions, the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg National Young Artist Competition (two different players), and top prizes at international marimba competitions (several players). One established a recording contract with Sony/Japan.

Undergraduate and graduate-level Percussion majors also study marimba with Zeltsman. Students receive 15 hours of private lessons per semester that are divided between a percussion teacher, a timpani teacher, and Nancy. [Undergraduates may not major in Marimba at TBC, but can do so at Berklee; see below.] TBC recently acquired a large rehearsal space that is also the lovely new home of the percussion department (with several practice rooms).

The Boston Conservatory is a small conservatory (about 625 students total) with a unique triple focus on music, dance and theater. It is a founding member of the Pro Arts Consortium, an association of six colleges that includes Berklee College of Music. The ability to cross-register (as electives) for the many specialized percussion courses taught nearby at Berklee is a fantastic perk for TBC's percussion and marimba students.

Degrees Offered

• Master of Music (or Graduate Performance Certificate) in Marimba or Percussion
• Bachelor of Music in Percussion

Percussion Faculty

• Nancy Zeltsman (Chair), marimba
• Samuel Z. Solomon & Keith Aleo, percussion
• David Herbert & John Grimes, timpani

For further information, visit: www.bostonconservatory.edu
E-mail: admissions@bostonconservatory.edu
See also: Audition Requirements

At Berklee College of Music

Berklee is the only college in the world (to Nancy's knowledge) that enables specialized study in marimba at the undergraduate level. Aside from private lessons, Zeltsman teaches Marimba Ensembles, Marimba in Mixed Chamber Music Ensemble, and Marimba Transcriptions and Repertoire Lab.

Berklee has a total of about 3800 students. The Percussion Department is comprised of about 630 students and 38 faculty members of many specialties. Students may declare their "principal instrument" to be Marimba, Vibraphone, Total Percussion, Drum Set, or Hand Percussion.

Possible majors at Berklee include: Performance, Professional Music, Music Education, Music Therapy, Music Production and Engineering, Music Business/Management, Contemporary Writing and Production, Music Synthesis, Songwriting, Jazz Composition, Composition and Film Scoring.

In the summers, the Berklee Percussion Festival provides a great opportunity to become acquainted with Boston, the college and its faculty. For further information, contact: summer@berklee.edu

Degrees Offered

• Bachelor of Music
• Professional Diploma

Other Mallet Faculty

• Ed Saindon, Dave Samuels and Victor Mendoza (jazz vibes)
• Dean Anderson (marimba and percussion ensemble)
• Richard Flanagan (concert and orchestral percussion)

For further information, visit: www.berklee.edu
E-mail: admissions@berklee.edu
See also: Berklee Percussion Department

Privately

• Nancy is available to teach occasional private lessons by appointment. Contact her at: nancy@nancyzeltsman.com
• Since her time is limited, she highly recommends these former students (all residing in the Greater Boston area), particularly for work with high school and younger marimba students:
  • Fumito Nunoya - nunocchi0311 [at] aol.com
  • Yuko Yoshikawa - yuko [at] yukoyoshikawa.com
  • Sylvie Zakarian - sylviezak [at] rcn.com