Lynn Vartan, Dr.

Associate Professor, Music-Percussion

Quick Information

Contact

Office Hours

MW 1:30 – 2:30 or by appointment

Affiliations

  • College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts
  • Faculty Fellow, Institute for Applied Creativity
  • Faculty Fellow, Center for Health & Nature

Helpful Links

Biography

Dr. 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. She has been multiple times Grammy nominated and was 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. Dr. 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 Lynn has performed with various orchestras including the Hubei Opera and Dance Company of Wuhan, China, the Sierra Wind Symphony, The Helena Symphony, The Cheyanne Symphony, The Orchestra of Southern Utah, 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 China and the “East Meets West” project designed around her as a soloist in Wuhan, China.

As a new music percussionist Lynn 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. Lynn 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).

Lynn is currently Professor of Percussion Interarts at Texas A&M University, where she build programs and projects that bring together the worlds of music with dance, film, design, theatre and all the visual and performing arts.

Education

Doctorate of Musical Arts

University of Southern California

Masters of Music Performance

University of Southern California

Bachelor of Arts, Music Performance

California State University, Northridge

Scholarly Interests

  • Building Immersive & Inclusive Concert Experiences
  • Interarts Performance
  • Music & Nature
  • Developing mental health resources for college students through interactive music
  • Developing artistry and artistic identity in students and young professionals in the performing arts

Courses

MUSC 305

Music Entrepreneurship

3 Credit Hours
MUSC 140

Introduction to Interarts Performance

3 Credit Hours
MUSC 330

Music Performance Project

3 Credit Hours

Projects + Creative Works

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  • Stars Above is an album of duo marimba works performed by Duo LinLynn members WeiChen Lin and Lynn Vartan. It spans centuries in music, beginning with Debussy and Sibelius and moving through contemporary composers such as the Australian marimba artist Robert Oetomo and and new work written by Jenni Brandon. The Album finishes with the alluring Nhiyr by Michael J. Calamas for marimba and vibraphone
    Released 2024 
  • Solo album of Percussion Music performed by Lynn Vartan and released by the Delos record label.

    Listen Here.

  • Other albums Lynn has recorded can be found on her website  – https://lynnvartan.com/music/#