Jhon Ciro
Jhon Ciro began his percussion studies at Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia) and received various scholarships and performance awards including the Meritorious Final Concert, Valedictorian award (“mejor graduado”), Scholarship for Master level studies awarded to the student with the best GPA of the academic program, and the Class honors: Best semester GPA, twice. Graduated at Universidad EAFIT, Colombia, as a Master of Music (Percussion Performance).
Jhon Ciro's Adams Gear
"Over the last decade, the efforts of many Latin American percussionists have borne fruit, highlighting the depth and quality present in our countries through remarkable composers, performers, and educators. They have elevated contemporary Latin American percussion to new standards, enriched by the cultural and identity-based wealth of our peoples. In this context, Colombia has produced outstanding musicians, and Jhon Ciro is part of a new generation emerging from this musical growth. His work as a performer, composer, educator, and project leader strongly contributes to the development of Latin American music and plays a significant role in the current and future landscape of Colombian music." — Dr. Israel Moreno, Director of the Latin American Marimba Competition, Chiapas, Mexico
Alongside Evelyn Glennie and Martin Grubinger, Jhon Ciro was invited to participate in the 3rd International Music Festival of Medellín, “Great Percussionists of the World,” in 2009. He holds a Master’s degree in Music from EAFIT University and a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion from the University of Antioquia. He currently serves as a tenured professor of percussion at the School of Music, Industrial University of Santander.
He is the founder and director of both the UIS International Percussion Festival and the SAETA Percussion Ensemble. Additionally, he is the founder and interim president of the Percussive Arts Society Colombia Chapter, and an endorsed artist for Adams and Innovative Percussion.
As a soloist, he has performed with the Río Negro Province Symphony Orchestra (Argentina), the String Orchestra of the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, the Ibagué Symphony Orchestra, the Quindío Symphonic Band, the University of Antioquia Symphonic Band, the University of Antioquia Percussion Ensemble, El Toque Percussion Ensemble, Percanto Percussion Ensemble of EAFIT University, and the SAETA Percussion Ensemble.
He has participated as a performer and clinician at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (USA), the 3rd Latin American Marimba Competition in Chiapas, Mexico, the 8th and 15th International Percussion Festival of the Patagonia Cultural Foundation (Argentina), the 3rd, 4th, and 5th International Percussion Festival in Ibagué, the 32nd UIS International Piano Festival, the 1st through 4th International Percussion Festivals in Bucaramanga, the 1st International Percussion Festival of Barranquilla, the 1st PercuEAFIT International Percussion Festival, and the 11th Tamborimba International Percussion Festival.
His main composition mentors have been Johann Hasler and Blas Emilio Atehortúa. His compositions focus primarily on solo percussion repertoire inspired by elements of Colombian folklore.
Finally, Jhon Ciro serves as the research director of the Musilab group, conducting studies related to the analysis of sound and audiovisual environments, which are then adapted into various instrumental formats.