FULL BIOGRAPHY

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

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Adam creates percussion content on many platforms, including THE STUDIO, a self-produced YouTube show uploading weekly videos for education and entertainment. Since 2016, Adam's content has grown to over 33,000 subscribers and 4 million views on YouTube, and over 5 million views on Instagram Reels.

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Despite growing up in the small city of Perth, Adam has since performed and presented to audiences across the world in Argentina, Australia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. Highlights include solo and duo recital performances at multiple Percussive Arts Society International Conventions (PASIC), inc. percussion days (Japan), Oh! Asian Percussionists Series, ​​PAS Hong Kong Days of Percussion (Hong Kong), Malaysia Percussion Festival, University of Memphis, Arkansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University, University of North Alabama, VCS Conservatory of the Arts (USA) and solo masterclasses at JMS Aster Plaza (Japan), Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA), 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), Victoriano Lopez Music School (Honduras), the Conservatorio Superior de Música Ástor Piazzolla (Argentina), 505A Percussion Gathering (Hong Kong), University of Texas Austin, Southern Utah University (USA), UWA Conservatorium of Music and Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Australia). Adam is also developing an online course about entrepreneurship and content creation for percussionists with The Percussion Conservatory, scheduled for release in late 2024.

 

Adam has also served as faculty and/or adjudicator for the HKYMI Western Percussion Ensemble Contest (Hong Kong), Austin Percussion Festival (USA), MalletLab Summer Intensive (USA), Marimbafest 2021/2022/2023, Australian Percussion Eisteddfod and WA Day of Percussion (Australia). In recognition of his content creation endeavours, Adam was invited by the Ju Percussion Group as an international VIP guest to attend the 11th Taiwan International Percussion Convention (TIPC) 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan. Adam's work as a soloist and composer has been featured in Percussive Notes, Cut Common Magazine, @ Percussion, The Band Lab and more.

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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.

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In 2021, Adam started developing a new signature mallet series under his name with Encore Mallets and Salyers Percussion, the Encore Mallets Adam Tan series. 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. It is one of only two mallet series in the world that currently incorporate a Chinese name on the shaft, and is the second ever Encore mallets series to have a pre-made graduated set option (AT4/AT3/AT3/AT2). The AT series launched in July 2022 and is available in both birch and rattan from stores worldwide, including Steve Weiss Music, Percussion Source. Southern Percussion and Japan Percussion Center.

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In 2023, Adam spent five months developing a new travel backpack for everyday percussionists called THE TRAVELLER By Adam Tan. Produced in collaboration with HAOSEN Instruments (Taiwan), THE TRAVELLER houses 20 pairs of mallets with all your everyday items in a convenient and travel-minded package. With features such as secret compartments, luggage strap, sternum strap, double-stitched padded handles and carry straps, ventilated back and more, it was designed to be the one bag for everything a percussionist needs. THE TRAVELLER was launched at PASIC 2023, selling out on its first day of release and is now stocked by retailers worldwide including Steve Weiss Music and more.

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Back home in Perth, 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). Adam has served as Lecturer and Percussion Tutor at the UWA Conservatorium of Music and currently directs classes and other percussion services at his private studio, THE STUDIO by Adam Tan.

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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 Instruments (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.

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SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Adam Tan (b. 1994) (he/him) is a marimba soloist, educator, composer and content creator based in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia). Adam is most known as the face of THE STUDIO, a YouTube series about various topics of percussion.

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Adam has performed and presented hundreds of performances and classes to live audiences in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and United States, as well as online audiences in Argentina, Honduras and the United Kingdom. As a composer, Adam's works for percussion appear on repertoire lists in schools, competitions and festivals around the world, including the UIL Texas Prescribed Music List (PML). Adam is also the director of Marimbafest Australia, an organisation that curates the annual international marimba festival and competition Marimbafest. 

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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.

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Adam is a Premier Artist of Marimba One (USA), a Signature Artist of Encore Mallets and Salyers Percussion (USA) with the Encore Mallets Adam Tan series, an Artist Endorser of Black Swamp Percussion (USA), Composer of Edition Svitzer (Denmark), Artist of Soundbrenner (Hong Kong). Designer of 'THE TRAVELLER by Adam Tan', a percussion backpack in collaboration with 豪聲樂器 HAOSEN (Taiwan) and Associate Artist with the Australian Music Centre.