Award-winning US percussionist to join UC Music

It’s an exciting time for Canterbury music enthusiasts and performers as the University of Canterbury announces it has appointed the award-winning American percussionist Dr Justin DeHart as the new Senior Lecturer of Performance in the School of Music.

A member of the internationally renowned Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, Dr DeHart has been nominated for a Grammy award and performs in a gamut of contemporary musical styles: from classical to pop – including playing with the San Diego Symphony and rock band Cheap Trick – and from world music to electronica. He is in demand internationally as an orchestral percussionist and timpanist, and is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Dr DeHart's debut solo recording Strange Paths was reviewed in the percussion industry journal Percussion Notes where the “palette of sounds and intricate weaving of lines” led the “mesmerising” album to be singled out for extraordinary recognition.

Born in California and currently living in Anaheim, Dr DeHart's performing career has, for the last decade, been centred on the West Coast of the United States. A graduate of some of the top performance schools in California – including an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and DMA from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) – he has since taught at a number of universities in the region, including Chapman University Conservatory of Music and the University of California, Riverside.

One of Dr DeHart's musical specialisations is classical North Indian tabla playing. In 2001 he was granted a rare Fulbright Scholarship award to enable studies in India, leading to worldwide recognition as a performer and pedagogue in this discipline.

Informed by such an intense exposure to music of another culture, Dr DeHart's relocation to New Zealand brings an opportunity to explore music from the South Pacific – something he has expressed an interest in pursuing, says Associate Professor Glenda Keam, Head of UC’s School of Music.

“It’s an exciting time for music performance in Canterbury. Justin DeHart is joining a growing music performance presence at the University of Canterbury, adding to the already palpable impact made by Professor Mark Menzies’ appointment as Head of Performance in June. We look forward to Justin bringing his extensive skill set, specialist knowledge and unique experiences to the team next year.”

Dr DeHart will be joining the UC School of Music from February 2017.

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