Lynn Vartan
Professor of Music | Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT, UNITED STATES
Known for her dynamic athleticism and exciting energy on stage, Dr. Vartan brings that same passion for music into her classroom.
Biography
Percussionist Lynn Vartan is an international performer and educator who is an advocate for diversity in music. Known for her dynamic athleticism and exciting energy on stage, Dr. Vartan brings that same passion for music into her classroom.
In 2016, Dr. Vartan became the first American percussionist to design and launch her own signature line of marimba mallets for Marimba One. She has performed with dozens of ensembles and orchestras, including the Hubei Opera and Dance Company of Wuhan, China, the Sierra Wind Symphony, the Helena Symphony, the Orchestra of Southern Utah and Southwest Chamber Music. As a recording artist, Dr. Vartan was three times Grammy nominated on the Cambria label with Southwest Chamber Music in the “Best Classical Album of the Year” and “Best Ensemble with or without a conductor” for The Complete Chamber Music of Charlos Chaves, Volume III and for the “Latin Classical Album of the Year” for William Kraft’s Complete Encounters Series.
A devoted ensemble musician, Lynn has been actively involved with Southwest Chamber Music, the violin/percussion duo 61/4 which she founded with Shalini Vijayan, and a duo percussion group Exacta that she formed with Tambuco’s Miguel Gonzalez and Duo LinLynn with percussionist Wei Chen Lin. At the University of Southern California, Dr. Vartan earned a master’s and doctorate in music. She is endorsed by the Paiste Corporation, Remo Inc. and Marimba One.
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Industry Expertise (4)
Music
Writing and Editing
Education/Learning
Performing Arts
Areas of Expertise (8)
Music Performance
Project Management
Percussion Literature
Percussion Pedagogy
Conducting
Drumline
Music
Percussion
Education (2)
University of Southern California: M.M., Percussion Performance
University of Southern California: D.M.A., Emphasis in Percussion, Music History, Music Education and Theatre Design
Accomplishments (7)
Director of APEX Event Series (professional)
2017
Signature Line of Marimba Mallets (professional)
2016
Recital Soloist Feature
Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series
Recital Soloist Feature
Los Angeles Philharmonic Different Trains Series
Grammy Nomination
Cambria label, Southwest Chamber Music in "Best Classical Album of the Year"
Grammy Nomination
Cambria Label, Southwest Chamber Music in "Best Small Ensemble with or without a conductor"
Grammy Nomination
William Kraft's Complete Encounters Series in "Latin Classical Album of the Year"
Affiliations (5)
- Southwest Chamber Music
- Exacta
- Marimba One
- Paiste Corporation
- Remo Inc.
Links (5)
Media Appearances (7)
SUU Satellite Salon Series Presents Christopher Swist
SUU News online
2019-01-15
SUU’s Satellite Salon Series is hosting Christopher Swist in a concert titled Duality – The Life of the Composer/Performer. Created by SUU faculty member Dr. Lynn Vartan, the Satellite Salon Series is hosted twice a year and provides local students and music lovers an opportunity to attend master classes held by professional musicians. The Series is an educational program, designed to give southern Utah rural high school students the opportunity to learn from professional musicians and artists.
SUU Percussion Ensemble’s multimedia ‘Sci-Fi Odyssey’ will take listeners out of this world
Cedar City News online
2018-11-16
Under the direction of Lynn Vartan and featuring more than just instruments, the Southern Utah University Percussion Ensemble will perform the free concert “A Sci-Fi Odyssey”. “The concert is centered around a large ensemble piece called ‘Science Fiction’ that pays homage to old sci-fi films,” Vartan said. “It even has voice-over quotes from old films as well as a film montage that will play with it that shows old sci-fi movie bits! Other pieces include the ‘REM Cycle’ by Dustin Schulze and ‘The Martian Chronicles’ by Shaun Tilburg.”
SUU Hosts Annual Percussion Festival
Southern Utah University online
2017-04-05
SUU Department of Music hosts their Annual Percussion Festival on Saturday, April 15, 2017, beginning with a workshop at 2 p.m. and culminating with a concert that evening at 7:30 p.m. given by the Percussion Ensemble featuring Dr. Lynn Vartan and special guest artist Michael Burritt. Dr. Lynn Vartan, Director of Percussion at SUU, said, “Michael and I will be premiering a new piece he wrote for us to perform. The piece, (Sweet Dreams) and Time Machines, honors his former Dean, Doug Lowry, at the Eastman Conservatory. Doug was also my Associate Dean and conductor at USC. Doug passed away in 2013 and was an inspiration to both of us.”
Vartan Becomes First American to Create Signature Mallets
Music Connection online
2016-06-08
Dr. Lynn Vartan, director of percussion at Southern Utah University, is the first American percussionist to design and launch her own signature line of marimba mallets for Marimba One. Vartan is a world-renowned percussionist, performer and tenured professor at SUU since July 2008.
Heartland Marimba Festival Comes to Cedar City
Southern Utah University online
2016-05-26
The Heartland Marimba Festival Academy Out West will be held June 3-14, 2016 at Southern Utah University. Multiple concerts will be available to the public in the Thorley Recital Hall. These concerts will feature various guest artists, including Matthew Coley, Michael Burritt, Clocks in Motion, and Southern Utah University’s own Director of Percussion, Lynn Vartan.
Miming to the Music: Free Mime Workshop and Concert
Southern Utah University online
2014-01-23
This unlikely duo is percussionist and SUU instructor Lynn Vartan and professional mime and choreographer C. Nicholas Johnson as the mime. “Each person in attendance will learn about the principles of miming, an art form that is rarely seen at this high of level,” said Vartan. “The Sounds of Silence Series makes available artists like Johnson to viewers who are unlikely to ever see and perform next to a professional mime.”
Feel the Rhythm at SUU Percussion Ensemble Concert
St. George News online
2016-11-20
CEDAR CITY — The Southern Utah University Percussion Ensemble presents its fall concert on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Thorley Recital Hall. Admission is free and the performance is open to the public.
Articles (1)
Testimonials
New York Times in educationPhillip Eliasoph, Lynn Vartan, Michael J. Kimball, Taso Lagos, Elaine Leeder, Robert Schmuhl, William McKeen
“[The New York Times] has been a GREAT thing for our music students. Every week we have our New York Times round robin discussion, in which students have read an arts article and brought it in for discussion. It has really added to the class and made students much more aware of the arts in the nation. We have had some very lively talks about what makes art and what is happening in the arts based on the New York Times articles … I am looking forward very much to using it again!”
Courses (5)
MUSC 3240 Percussion Ensemble
The Percussion Ensemble performs historically significant works for percussion, contemporary percussion literature and traditional non-Western world music. The ensemble comprises both music majors and non-music majors.
MUSC 3241 Advanced Percussion Ensemble
The Advanced Percussion Ensemble performs advanced literature from the percussion ensemble repertoire. The course is designed for students with considerable experience in playing and reading music.
MUSC 3242 Drumline
The Drumline is a marching percussion ensemble that prepares and performs music of the marching percussion repertoire. Music to be learned includes cadences, street beats, in-stands music and marching percussion show music. The ensemble performs at university events such as athletic events and recruiting events. The ensemble comprises both music majors and non-majors.
MUSC 3740 Percussion Methods
Prepares music education students in the pedagogy, methods and techniques of teaching percussion instruments.
CONV 2010 Passport to SUU
Passport to SUU is a course that allows the students to experience many live events on campus, including Convocations lectures, theatre, dance, and music performance events. The course seeks to add richness, depth, and opportunity for personal, professional growth for the student, maximizing the experiential and integrated experience they have on campus every semester.
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