Joseph Gramley

His first solo recording, American Deconstruction, featuring performances of five milestone works in multi-percussion's modern repertoire, appeared in 2000 and was reissued in 2006.

He did his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan, where he was a student of Michael Udow and Salvatore Rabbio and was a recipient of the Albert A. Stanley Medal.

Gramley made his concerto debut in 1992 with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and music director Christoph Eschenbach after winning their National Soloist Competition.

[2] In the course of his involvement with the group, Gramley has studied percussion styles and instruments from around the globe, and collaborated with musicians from India, Iran, China, Japan, Korea and Central Asia.

He has performed on six Silk Road albums on the SonyBMG label, as well as the group's Grammy-nominated CD with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Transitions and Transformations (CSO Resound, 2008).

In addition to his solo and Silk Road work, as well as his frequent appearances with chamber groups and orchestras, Gramley performs with the British organist Clive Driskill-Smith in the duo Organized Rhythm.

Gramley has performed with the Metropolitan Opera (on stage in Tan Dun with Plácido Domingo),[4] and accompanied Pierre-Laurent Aimard on his 2007 United States tour.

He has also performed with orchestras for the Broadway productions of Miss Saigon, Jekyll & Hyde, Phantom of the Opera, and The Color Purple, and has accompanied Elton John at Radio City Music Hall.