SDPF 2024 Artists
Ted Atkatz
Former Principal Percussionist/Assistant Timpanist of the Chicago Symphony, current Los Angeles studio musician and lifelong educator
Ted Atkatz is a renowned performer, educator, recording artist, and composer. He is the former Principal Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ted now resides in Los Angeles, where he is an active studio musician. He has performed on over 60 motion picture soundtracks, including “Frozen,” “The Jungle Book” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Ted has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Dallas Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Ted has served as the head of the Colburn Percussion Department since 2015. Recent graduates now hold positions in the Baltimore Symphony (Principal Percussion), Kansas City Symphony (Associate Principal Percussion), New Jersey Symphony (Principal Timpani), New World Symphony (two Percussion Fellows), Philadelphia Orchestra (Associate Principal Percussion), and Seattle Symphony. tedatkatzpercussionseminar.com
Naoko Takada
Since her debut at the age of 11 as a soloist with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Naoko Takada has performed hundreds of recitals and concerts over 36 states of USA and the world, including performances in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Tokyo Suntory Hall, and the Konzarthaus in Berlin, Germany. She has taught hundreds of master classes throughout the United States at schools such as Indiana University, the Manhattan School of Music, Cleveland Institute, and NYU. She devotes herself to various educational programs such as the Kennedy Center’s outreach and Midori & Friends. As an instructor, she has worked for many international festivals and workshops worldwide. In 2006, she was awarded the S and R Washington Award, a prize that will be given to artists who contribute to cultural understanding between the U.S. and Japan. Her other awards include the First prize of the Young Concert Artists International Audition, the Houston Ima Hogg national young Artist Competiton, the Sorantin Young Artists International Competition, and the Japan International League of Artists Competition. Ms. Takada is a Victor Entertainment, Inc. recording artist and released her first solo Album, "Marimba Meets the Classics.” Ms. Takada is endorsed by Yamaha as a performing artist and has two series of her signature mallets available through Encore Mallets Inc. Her arrangements and commissioned works are available through Musicon Publications and Studio 4 Publications. She teaches marimba at the University of Southern California.
Ken McGrath
Kenneth McGrath is a highly regarded percussionist and educator in Los Angeles. He has performed, recorded, and toured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and San Diego Symphony, in addition to regular appearances with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Pasadena Symphony. His work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group has included concerts at Lincoln Center, the Ojai Music Festival, and the Green Umbrella Series. In 2008, Ken commissioned, performed, and recorded the world premiere of William Kraft’s Encounters XIII: Concertino for Percussion & Woodwind Quintet with Southwest Chamber Music. Ken has also performed frequently with dance companies such as American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet in addition to national touring productions of Motown: The Musical, Wicked, Curtains, The Lion King, and Phantom of the Opera. As an active studio musician, he has performed on numerous motion pictures for composers such as John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Danny Elfman, and Christophe Beck.
Kenneth currently serves on the percussion faculties of the California State University Fullerton School of Music, the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, and Pasadena City College. Ken is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (summa cum laude) and the Eastman School of Music. To learn more about Ken, visit http://www.mcgrathpercussion.com/
Ryan Nestor
Dr. Ryan Nestor is a percussionist specializing in contemporary music. Currently on faculty at the University of San Diego, Nestor teaches applied percussion, a variety of music courses, and is co-director of Ensemble X, an interdisciplinary musical ensemble that explores the experimental music tradition. As a performer, Nestor has commissioned and premiered numerous solo and chamber compositions written by composers from around the world. Nestor is also interested in composition and recently completed The Crotalus Cycle, a multimedia work which explores musical sounds during wartime.
Nestor is a former member of the percussion ensemble Red Fish Blue Fish and has appeared alongside groups such as the International Contemporary Ensemble, The Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Performance highlights include appearances at The Rady Shell, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cervantino Music Festival, Ojai Music Festival, and the Old Globe Theater, where he served as music director for the 2014 production of Othello. Nestor earned the DMA degree from the University of California, San Diego, the MM from Stony Brook University, and the BMME from the University of Kentucky.