Percussionists from across the country and around the world will gather at Vanderbilt May 25-31, 2025, for Nashville Marimba Sessions, a debut program directed by Blair professor Ji Hye Jung. The weeklong experience will give young musicians the opportunity to work closely with world renowned faculty, network with peers, and perform solo and chamber works, all amidst a unique cultural experience in Nashville, Tennessee.
Special guest artists for the week will include acclaimed musicians Eriko Daimo, a professor at Juilliard; Michael Burritt from the Eastman School of Music; and international performer Marta Klimsara.
“It is my dream to create a unique learning opportunity for young percussionists during the summer,” said Jung. “I am so excited to host Nashville Marimba Sessions at Vanderbilt and to be joined by these renowned guest artists. This is going to be a remarkable experience for all of us who love marimba!”
Nashville Marimba Sessions is open to musicians 18 years and older. Interested participants must submit an application and performance video by January 13 to be considered. For more information visit http://vu.edu/nashvillemarimbasessions.
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About the Vanderbilt Percussion Group and Ji Hye Jung:
The Vanderbilt Percussion Group, let by Jung and husband / Blair percussion faculty colleague Lee Vinson, continues to gain national recognition. The program has recently hosted numerous notable music guests—Jason Treuting, Ivan Trevino, Aiyun Huang, and Ian Antonio among them—and the student ensemble traveled to South Korea for a performance tour in December 2024.
Praised as “spectacular” and “a centered player who can give the impression of being very still yet at all places at once” by the Los Angeles Times, Ji Hye Jung is an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, and educator. She has served as associate professor of percussion at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music since 2015 and was previously associate professor of percussion at the University of Kansas. An active educator and clinician, Jung has presented masterclasses at the Curtis Institute, the Peabody Conservatory, Rice University, Beijing’s Central Conservatory, and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland.
Jung holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music and a bachelor of arts from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. As an artist endorser, she proudly represents Pearl/Adams instruments, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, and Zildjian cymbals.