Robert Van Sice has rapidly become one of the most exciting performers of contemporary marimba music on the concert scene. To date he premiered over seventy works, including concertos, chamber music, and solos.Born in the United States, and educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Mr. Van Sice has preformed in 25 countries the world over, and appears as a soloist with ensembles such as the London Sinfonietta, the Ensemble Contreechamps and broadcast for numerous radio stations including the BBC, German radio, NHK, and radio France.

Robert van Sice has released three CD's on the Etcetera label and is presently under contract with Mode records. "It is not unusual to be asked to endorse a companys' product. However in 1993, I was asked by Adams to work with them to design a new marimba. From the first prototype, I knew we were going to explore new teritory. Since that first design sessions, I've been back in the factory dozens of times and toured with my Robert van Sice marimba in 20 countries. It's pitch clarity and warm sound have been a great inspiration to me and led conductors to marvel and ask, 'how is it possible to get such a pure pitch out of a keyboard percussion instrument?'. My answer is simple... 'Now I have a musical marimba maker'. The advantage of the Adams Artist Series marimbas don't stop with the last note of a concert either. The voyager frame is surprisingly portable and weights a fraction of any other marimba. Lastly, since the instrument has my name on it, I am also concerned by the company's service to players. In this regard, I can say great things. They stand behind these instruments 100%."
Robert van Sice
Models with Synthetic Core
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M1 | Dark Bass Available in Rattan and Maple |
Models with Rubber Core
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M11 | Very Dark Available in Rattan and Maple |
Bogdan Bácanu received his first engagement as a percussionist with the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra George Enescu in 1988, aged 13. He then began touring with that orchestra in Romania, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey. At the same time he performed solo concerti (piano as well as percussion) and was accompanied by various orchestras. Bácanu was priveleged to receive lessons from notable pedagogues such as Keiko Abe (Japan) and Siegfried Fink (Germany) until his studies eventually began with Peter Sadlo at the Mozarteum, University of Salzburg.
In 1996 he won the Keiko-Abe-Prize at the World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart.
At the age of 23 he became a professor for marimba at the famous Bruckner University in Linz (Austria).
In the years between 1997 and 2005 he gave solo concerts and concerts with orchestras and ensembles. He toured in Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, England, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Cypress, Greece, Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland and the USA. He has concertised with such well known artists as Keiko Abe, Gidon Kremer, Peter Sadlo, Nancy Zeltsman, Katarzyna Mycka, Lee Howard Stevens, Robert van Sice, Gordon Stout, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic and William Moersch.

He has been invited to renowned music festivals such as The Biennal in Brisbane (Australia), the Princeton Marimba Festival, the Percussion Festival of Thessaloniki and the Lockenhaus Music Festival. Voices of Percussion Vienna, World Marimba Festival Osaka, the 2nd International Marimba Competition 2004 in Belgium, 2005 in Slovenia, International Percussion Competition PENDIM in Plovdiv / Bulgaria, IKMMA Poland, Zeltsman Marimba Festival in the USA, International Marimba Festival 2004 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico where he gave concerts to great critical acclaim. Bogdan Bacanu is a professor at the International Summer Academy in Salzburg, at the IKMMA, was a guest professor at the Zeltsman Marimba Festival in the USA, at the 4th International Marimba Festival 2004 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico and was invited by distinguished Universities and Festivals for masterclasses in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Cypress, Greece, Japan, Australia, Turkey as well as the USA.
Bácanu was invited to be a member of the jury at the 2nd International Marimba Competition 2004 in Belgium, International Marimba Competition 2005 in Ljubljana / Slovenia and the International Percussion Competition PENDIM in Plovdiv / Bulgaria. As Artistic Director of the International Marimba Festival Linz he brought a recurring cultural event into being. After the continual success of his festivals he founded the International Marimba Competition in Linz 2006, which is complemented by a jury consisting of musicians of the highest order.
Bogdan Bácanu plays exclusively on ADAMS Artist Classic Custom Marimbas.
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100 | Bass Soft Available in Rattan and Maple |
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MB1 | Maple 'Successful Playing' Available in Maple |