Concert Reviews

The ever-astonishing Nancy Zeltsman… played with sparkling rhythmic inflection, stamina, speed, accuracy, and a full spectrum of colors.

— Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe (1/24/05)

Miss Zeltsman's marimba has a natural gentleness and warmth.

— The New York Times

You play with your soul and inside my soul. Gracias!

— Mexico City

Simply magnificent! You are a true virtuoso performer on this beautiful and difficult instrument: I don't expect to hear the likes of it again in my lifetime.

— St. Paul, MN

An excellent recital — probably the highlight of my summer. Your precious sensitivity to the execution of the music last night was a real thrill.

— Princeton, NJ

Her harmonic sensibility and the expressive character in her performances is outstanding. Zeltsman possessed a command of many different musical styles together with a careful structural conception of all pieces.

— a Mexico City newspaper

Master Class Reviews

I can’t thank you enough for you willingness to share your musical gifts with us as part of our DOP!! In discussing your clinic and recital presentations with my students, we all agreed that you are one of the most musical marimba players we had ever heard. Your ability to shape a musical gesture is nothing short of astonishing!!!!!

— Marc Wooldridge, Host, Iowa Day of Percussion (3/07)

I can’t thank you enough for you willingness to share your musical gifts with us as part of our Day of Percussion!! In discussing your clinic and recital presentations with my students, we all agreed that your ability to shape a musical gesture is nothing short of astonishing!!!!! Thank you so much for the terrific, educational and inspiring Master Class you did for us. You are truly a Virtuoso and Master of the marimba. Your musical concepts, approach to performing the instrument and personal sensitivity in both your playing and teaching are incomparable.

— Glenn Steele, Professor of Percussion, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Reviews of Four-Mallet Marimba Playing

From the standpoint of imagination, interpretation, color, sensitivity and artistry, I simply do not know of a finer marimbist than Nancy Zeltsman. With this in mind, I am not surprised that she has written what may be the most comprehensive method for four mallet marimba published to date. Essentially Four-Mallet Marimba Playing is a compendium of five related books published in one volume. One of the truly unique features of this text is the emphasis on artistic thought and imagination.

— Robert McCormick, Professor of Music, University of South Florida

The etudes and comments on pieces are great, but what really impressed me was your comments on teachers, practicing, etc. It's so rare that there is much prose in a method book to begin with, and then for your stuff to be so deep is even cooler.

— Dave Hagedorn, Associate Professor, St. Olaf College

Congratulations on a wonderful text. I realized at a glance that at it would become my 'go to' method book for teaching the instrument. I love the 50 short etudes and what motivates them, as well as the beautiful manner in which you express your ideas while acknowledging that differences of opinion and style are naturally going to exist. I can’t imagine the time you must have invested in putting the book together; all I can say is 'Great job!' As a believer in the advantages of traditional grip, it will be nice having your expert opinion backing me up, so to speak. It is rare to find a percussion method so comprehensive that it leaves you thinking 'Yes, that’s it exactly' – but I believe yours is one of them.”

— Robert Schulz, Associate Professor, Tufts University; Principal Percussionist with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Fromm Players at Harvard