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In the fall of 1964, he joined the Creative Associates at the State University at Buffalo. This group was formed by composer /conductor / pianist; Lukas Foss, and its members included percussionist Jan Williams; composers George Crumb, Sylvano Bussoti, Mauricio Kagel, and Fred Myrow; Bassist Buell Neidlinger; oboist / saxophonist Andrew N. White III; singers Carol Plantamura, Sylvia Brigham Dimiziani, and Larry Bogue; composer / trombonist Vinko Globokar; violinist Paul Zukofsky; clarinetist Sherman Friedlander; cellist Jay Humeston; composer / pianist Michael Sahl; violist Jean Depuey; and flutist Karl Kraber. The Creative Associates at SUNY Buffalo explored the avant-garde in a wide variety of 20th Century styles, and performed regularly in Buffalo and in New York's Carnegie recital Hall. Some of the results of this group included the first book of madrigals by George Crumb, Vibone by Vinko Globokar, Passion Selon Sade by Sylvano Bussotti, and Songs From the Japanese by Fred Myrow. From this group John became involved in smaller "sub-groups" with Buell Neidlinger, Charles Gayle, and Andrew White; and a trio with George Crumb and Paul Zukofsky. Relocating on the West Coast, John became involved in learning Tabla and other hand drums traditional to non-European cultures, and since 1970, has been coordinator of the percussion program at California Institute of the Arts. This breadth of background has led John to such diverse musical involvements as concerts with John McLaughlin's Shakti, performing in Frank Zappa's Abnuceals Emukka Orchestra, recording with , and a tour to the Soviet Union with Robert Shaw, to name only a few. John continues to be involved in contemporary music performance, studio work, and non-EuroAmerican music performance. Incorporating many of the styles which have influenced him, John has co-founded two all-percussion groups The Repercussion Unit in 1976 with Larry Stein, Ed Mann, James Hildebrandt, Greg Johnson, Paul Anceau, and Steven "Lucky" Mosko; and The Hands On'Semble with Andrew Grueschow, Randy Gloss and Austin Wrinkle in 1997.
1957-1962: Manhattan School of Music - Bachelor of Music, Master of Music degrees 1959: Lenox School of Jazz 1962: Vacation courses for new music Darmstadt Germany 1962-1964: Tanglewood
Western Percussion / Drum Set: Joseph Giarratano, Fred Albright, Paul Price, Max Roach. East Indian: Ali Akbar Khan, Mahapurush Misra, Shankar Ghosh, Swapan Chaudhuri, T.H. Subashchandran, T.H. Vinayakram (Vikku), T. Rangnathan, Poovalur Srinivasan, P.S. Venkatesan. African: Alfred and Kobla Ladzekpo Indonesian: K.R.T. Wasitodiningrat, I Nyomen Wenten. Composition: Michael Colgrass. Awards and Scholarships: American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) standard award 1985-87, 1990-97. Rockafeller Foundation Grant to perform new music with the Creative Associates at SUNY Buffalo 1964-66. Mayor's Scholarship to Darmstadt 1962. Fromm Fellowship in contemporary music performance at Tanglewood 1963-65. Scholarship to the Ali Akbar College of Music 1966-72. Phil and Stephanie Barber Scholarship to Lenox School of Jazz 1959. Grant from American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) 1992-93. Meet the Composer grant 1988, 93, 94, 95.
Stephen Addiss
& Bill Crofut Gustavo Aguilar Herb Alpert Angels of Venice John Bergamo Chris Blake Eugene Bowen Bracha Johnny Clegg & Savuka Morton Feldman Hands On'Semble Lou Harrison Jaguares Ali Akbar Khan (John on drumset!) Brent Lewis Mokave (Glen Moore, Larry Karush & Glen
Velez) Harry Nilsson Van Dyke Parks Houman Pourmehdi (John on drumset!) Repercussion Unit Shadowfax Robert Shaw Julie Spencer Ringo Starr Tim Timmermans Hideaki Tokunaga Various Artists Il-Won Charles Wuorinen Frank Zappa
John Bergamo Various Artists
Bergamo, John. "Indian Music in America." Percussionist 19, no. 1 (November 1981): 5-8. ________. "The Indian Ghatam and Tavil." Percussionist 19, no. 1 (November 1981): 18-23. ________. "The Thavil of South India." Percussioner International 1, no. 1 (June 1984): 21, 30, 38. [Also performs on thavil on accompanying cassette]. ________. "New Sounds in Percussion Ensemble: On the Edge." Percussioner International 1, no. 3 (1986): 83. [Also performs excerpts from "On the Edge" on accompanying cassette] ________. "Rhythm Scale." Percussioner International 1, no. 4 (1987): 32- 35. [Also performs bols on accompanying cassette]. ________. "The Sound of a One-Hand Paradiddle." Drum! 1, no. 1 (September/October 1991): 34-35. ________. "More Hand Drum Fingerings." Drum! 1, no. 2 (November/December 1991): 36. ________. "More Hand Drum Fingerings." Drum! 1, no. 3 (January/February 1992): 34-35. ________. "Speed Through Precision." Drum! 1, no. 6 (July/August 1992): 40, 42. ________. "Transferring the Chops: Hand Drumming for Stick Drummers." Modern Drummer 21, no. 4 (April 1997): 128, 130-132, 134. Bergamo, John with Janet Bergamo. "Exploring Tambourine Techniques." Percussive Notes 28, no. 3 (Spring 1990): 12-14. Brooks, Iris. "Global Beat: World Drum Festival." Ear: Magazine of New Music 2, no. 3 (November 1986): 8. ________. "The World Drum Festival." Modern Percussionist 3, no. 1 (December/February 1986/1987): 14-17, 37, 39. Pershing, Karen Ervin. "Repercussion Unit: The Indigenous Music of Newhall." Modern Percussionist 2, no. 3 (June/August 1986): 14-17, 39, 41. Robinson, N. Scott. "John Bergamo: Percussion World View." Percussive Notes 39, no. 1 (February 2001): 8-17. Sofia, Sal. "John Bergamo: Rhyme, Rhythm, and Raga." Percussioner International 1, no. 4 (1987): 50-55. ________. "The World Drum Festival." Percussioner International 2, no. 1 (November 1987): 66-72. Stasi, Carlos. "John Bergamo & Hands On'Semble." Batera & Percussão [Brazil] 4, no. 39 (November 2000): 38-41, 66.
John Bergamo performs on the soundtracks of the following films: Act of Violence, Altered States, Bad News Bears go to Japan, Chapter Two, Crossroads, The Exorcist II, The Heretic, Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), L.A. Story, National LAmpoon's Class Reunion, Perfect Weapon, Popeye, The Possessed, Project X, A Reflection of Fear, The Scarecrow Sniper, Tarzan the Ape Man, Who's Harry Crumb
Nexus, David Liebman, Ali Akbar Khan, Lou Harrison, Malcolm Goldstein, Amiya Dagsgupta, Continuum, Swapan Chadhouri, The Antennae Repairmen, Mickey Hart, Emil Richards, Shadowfax, Shankar, Miroslav Tadic, Glen Velez, Frank Zappa, Repercussion Unit, Bracha, Lukas Foss, Arthur Wiesberg (Contemporary Chamber Ensemble), Gunther Schuller, Charles Wourinen (Group for Contemporary Music at Colombia University), Guarniri Jazz Quartet, CalArts New Century Players, Monday Evening Concerts (L.A.), Shakti with John McLaughlin, Expo 86 with Nexus, Glen Velez, Trichy Sankaran, and Steve Gadd
Compositions published by Tal Mala:Three pieces for the Winter Solstice (vibraphone solo) Duets and Solos (vibraphone and marimba) Remembrance (vibraphone and baritone voice) Gupta Sloka Chand (2 marimbas, 2 vibraphones, xylophone, and improvised solo) Five Miniatures (4 percussionists) Blanchard Canyon (5 amplified cymbals) #33 (5 percussionists) Piru Bole Tanka (solo) Faropace (2 or more percussionists) Tulumbaz (timpani solo). Compositions Published by Music for Percussion: Four pieces for Timpani Interactions for Vibraphone and 6 percussionists Style Studies
Commissioned works: Ballet Music for Bill T. Jones and the Berkshire Ballet, 1991 Different Strokes for snare drum (Smith Publications), 1988 Frembe (2 frame drums, 2 djembe) (Smith Publications), 1997 Entrada Siete for Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble, 1988 Gupta Sloka Chand for Ron George, 1986 Blanchard Canyon for California Ear Unit, 1985 On The Edge for CalArts Contemporary Music Festival, 1983 Amiyada (2 tubas, 3 percussionists) for Donaueshigen festival in Germany, 1998 Tulumbaz (timpani solo) for Gustavo Aguilar, 1997
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b.
May 28, 1940 Englewood N.J. From his early days as a drummer in New
Jersey, John Bergamo has never lost his desire to expand his interest
in percussion. In 1959 John attended the Lenox School of Jazz in Lenox
Mass. next door to Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony.
Under a scholarship, John studied drumset with Max Roach; had Percy
Heath and Kenny Dorham as jazz band instructors; studied history and
theory with Gunther Schuller, Marshall Stearns and George Russell; and
was classmates with Ornette Coleman, and Don Cherry. In 1962 John earned
an M.M. degree from Manhattan School of Music, followed by three summers
in Tanglewood and time in New York City as a freelance musician.