Lynn Vartan

Lynn Vartan is an internationally renowned music performer and educator, known for her collaborative performances and artistry as well as her dynamic warmth and energy on stage. Grammy-nominated multiple times, she was also a performer on an album that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music. She has been invited internationally to perform and teach in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Mexico, Columbia, England, Romania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Denmark among others, and is currently a US Fulbright Specialist. Vartan is endorsed by the Paiste Corporation, Remo Inc. and Marimba One, and has a signature series of marimba mallets developed for her with Marimba One.

As a concerto soloist, Vartan has performed with orchestras including the Hubei Opera and Dance Company of Wuhan, China, Sierra Wind Symphony, Helena Symphony, Cheyanne Symphony, Orchestra of Southern Utah and Southwest Chamber Music, and has premiered new concertos by both American and Chinese composers. She has participated in cultural exchange projects such as the “World Percussion Group,” “Ascending Dragon” Project in Vietnam, “The Dream of Helen” project and the “East Meets West” project designed around her as a soloist in Wuhan, China.

As a new music percussionist Vartan has worked with Michael Colgrass, Vinny Golia, Arthur Jarvinen, Ursula Oppens, Joan Tower, Glen Velez, Xtet, James Newton, Chinary Ung, the Hilliard Ensemble, the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble and Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music. She has commissioned and/or performed nearly 50 new works for percussion by composers such as Donald Crockett, William Kraft, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Steve Hoey, Veronika Krausas, Erica Muhl, Arthur Jarvinen, Sean Heim, Jeff Holmes, Keith Bradshaw and Shaun Naidoo. Vartan has recorded on the ECM New Series, Albany Records, Cuneifroms Records, Bridge Records New World Records, Lian Records, Yarlung Records and Cambria. Her current chamber music projects include Darkwood Duo (clarinet and percussion), Duo Vís (violin and percussion) and Duo LinLynn (percussion duo).

Vartan is currently professor of percussion interarts at Texas A&M University, where she builds programs and projects that bring together the worlds of music with dance, film, design, theatre and all the visual and performing arts.