Melanie Gunn

Melanie Gunn is a contemporary percussionist, educator, and event producer located in Seattle, WA. She is currently working for Seattle Public Schools and is the Executive Director of the New Works Project. She often gives clinics at local schools and Day of Percussion events.

 

Dedicated to encouraging innovation and collaboration, she pioneered the New Works Project, which is dedicated to lowering the financial barriers that exist in commissioning new music, increasing access to new music, and supporting underheard voices within our community.

 

Melanie has performed with groups such as So Percussion, Talujon, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Modern Orchestra, and the Universal Language Project, among many others. She has also performed at festivals such as the Seattle Symphony's Day of Music and the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival. Performances have taken her across the United States, as well as internationally to China.

 

Melanie is currently exploring the relationship of contemporary percussion and dance, integrating the ideas of composers such as Henry Cowell, John Cage, and Lou Harrison, with her own. She was selected for a 21-day residency at the Cornish College of the Arts with Seattle dancer Brittani Karhoff where they explored the relationship between performers and audience members.

 

Melanie is a current Doctoral Candidate at the University of Washington. She previously earned a Master of Music degree in Performance at SUNY Buffalo, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education at The Hartt School.