My interest in tamtams began when, while a young student at Stony Brook University, I stumbled upon a recording of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I in the Music Library. I had never heard anything quite like it and that recording opened my eyes and ears to the possibilities of music in general and tamtams specifically. It wasn't until years later, as a member of Talujon, that I began exploring the instrument seriously. The tamtam soon became my instrument of choice during our group improvisations. In 2001 I decided to present a concert of all tamtam music which I called TAMTAM I. This concert featured James Tenney's Having Never Written a Note for Percussion and two versions of John Cage's One4 along with new pieces by Helen Lee and myself. Since that concert I've commissioned and performed a number of compositions featuring tamtams from a number of very talented composers including Peter Jarvis, Stuart Jones, Elizabeth Hoffman, Eric Moe, Steven Ricks and Ushio Torikai. I've also written a number of pieces that feature tamtam, most recently using the Electrix Repeater as a means to expand the possibilities in live performance. In 2006 I presented a second concert of all tamtam music (TAMTAM II) which featured new works by Jarvis, Jones, Ricks and myself as well as James Tenney's For Percussion Perhaps, Or…(night). My first CD "Music for Tamtams - METALMORPHOSIS" has just been released. I hope, with the CD to acquaint the listener with the enormous sonic potential found in these most fascinating of instruments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR. DOMINIC DONATO is active as a percussion soloist, chamber musician, composer and teacher. He is a member of the Talujon Percussion Quartet and DoublePlay Percussion Duo and has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. In 2007 Dr. Donato was selected by Meet the Composer as one of eight "Soloist Champions" in honor of his continuing commitment to new music and the solo percussion repertoire. Dr. Donato directs the Percussion Department and Contemporary Ensemble at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College, SUNY.