This year PASIC 2008 presents, A Tribute to John Bergamo as the Friday night showcase concert on Friday, November 7, 2008 in beautiful Austin, Texas. This special concert will feature a dynamic group of artists including David Johnson, Dan Kennedy, Repercussionists Larry Stein, Jimmy Hildebrandt, Gregg Johnson, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri with Hands OnSemble and Houman Pourmedhi. The music for the evening will be performed by long time friends and students. The pieces will include pieces from his classical compositions, music from the Repercussion Unit, and his hand drumming group Hands OnSemble joined by very special guest, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri (John's tabla teacher) and Houman Pourmedhi.

Few percussionists have as wide a resume as John Bergamo. From his early days studying classical music and jazz to his later exploration in tabla, thavil, gamelan and sogo, John Bergamo has been an a shining example of a percussionist's percussionist. As a student of music John studied with some of the finest teachers and performers of our era including Michael Colgrass, Paul Price, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Max Roach, Percy Heath, Kenny Dorham, Gunther Schuller, Marshall Stearns, George Russell, Pandit Mahapurush Mishra, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Sri Vidwan T.H. Subash Chandran, Sri Vidwan T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram, T. Ranganathan, Poovalur Srinivasan, P.S. Venkatesan, Alfred and Kobla Ladzekpo, K.R.T. Wasitodniningrat, and I Nyomen Wenten.

He has been given awards and scholarships from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Rockefeller Foundation Grant, Mayor's Scholarship to Darmstadt, Fromm Fellowship,
Ali Akbar College of Music, Phil and Stephanie Barber Scholarship, American Institute of Indian Studies grant, and Meet the Composer Grant..

He has performed with Nexus, David Liebman, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Lou Harrison, Malcolm Goldstein, Amiya Dagsgupta, Continuum, Pt. Swapan Chadhouri, The Antennae Repairmen, Mickey
Hart, Emil Richards, Shadowfax, Shankar, Miroslav Tadic, Glen Velez, Frank Zappa, Repercussion Unit, Bracha, Lukas Foss, Collin Walcott, Arthur Wiesberg (Contemporary Chamber Ensemble),
Gunther Schuller, Charles Wourinen (Group for Contemporary Music at Colombia University), Guarniri Jazz Quartet, CalArts New Century Players, Monday Evening Concerts (L.A.), Shakti with John
McLaughlin, Expo 86 with Nexus, Glen Velez, Trichy Sankaran, and Steve Gadd.

Aside from 2 solo albums and his work with his groups, Repercussion Unit, Bracha, and Hands OnSemble, his work in the studio includes recordings with Herb Alpert, Angels of Venice, Chris Blake,
Eugene Bowen, Bracha, Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Morton Feldman, Lou Harrison, Jaguares, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Brent Lewis, Mokave, Harry Nilsson, Van Dyke Parks, Shadowfax, Robert Shaw,
Julie Spencer, Ringo Starr, Tim Timmermans, Hideaki Tokunaga, Il-Won, Charles Wuorinen, and Frank Zappa. Additionally, Bergamo has provided soundtrack material for Act of Violence, Altered
States, Bad News Bears go to Japan, Chapter Two, Crossroads, The Exorcist II, The Heretic, Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), L.A. Story, National LAmpoon's Class Reunion, Perfect Weapon, Popeye, The
Possessed, Project X, A Reflection of Fear, The Scarecrow Sniper, Tarzan the Ape Man, Who's Harry Crumb.

Don't miss this exciting concert on Friday, November 7, 2008 in Austin, Texas, hosted by the Percussive Arts Society. For more information on the program and about John Bergamo, visit http://www.bergamoproject.org
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John Bergamo was head of world percussion department of the California Institute of Arts from 1970 until his retirement. His compositional works include:

Compositions published by Tal Mala:
Three pieces for the Winter Solstice (vibraphone solo)
Duets and Solos (vibraphone and marimba)
Remembrance (vibraphone and baritone voice)
Gupta Sloka Chand (2 marimbas, 2 vibraphones, xylophone, and improvised solo) Five Miniatures (4 percussionists) Blanchard Canyon (5 amplified cymbals) #33 (5 percussionists) Piru Bole Tanka
(solo) Faropace (2 or more percussionists) Tulumbaz (timpani solo).

Compositions Published by Music for Percussion:
Four pieces for Timpani
Interactions for Vibraphone and 6 percussionists
Style Studies

Commissioned works:
Ballet Music for Bill T. Jones and the Berkshire Ballet, 1991
Different Strokes for snare drum (Smith Publications), 1988
Frembe (2 frame drums, 2 djembe) (Smith Publications), 1997
Entrada Siete for Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble, 1988
Gupta Sloka Chand for Ron George, 1986
Blanchard Canyon for California Ear Unit, 1985
On The Edge for CalArts Contemporary Music Festival, 1983
Amiyada (2 tubas, 3 percussionists) for Donaueshigen festival in Germany, 1998
Tulumbaz (timpani solo) for Gustavo Aguilar, 1997


Sponsors include: CalArts, Cooperman Drum, Remo, Marimba One, Steve Weiss Music, Houston Percussion Center and OMRadio.com.