Justin Alexander
Justin Alexander is an Assistant Professor of Music at Virginia Commonwealth University where he teaches Applied Percussion Lessons, Percussion Methods and Techniques, Introduction to World Musical Styles, Music and Dance Forms, and directs the VCU Percussion Ensemble. Justin is a founding member of Novus Percutere, with percussionist Dr. Luis Rivera, and The AarK Duo, with flutist Dr. Tabatha Easley. Recent highlights include collaborative performances in Sweden, Australia, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and at the 6th International Conference on Music and Minimalism in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a soloist, Justin focuses on the creation of new works for percussion through commissions, and compositions, specifically focusing on post-minimalist/process/iterative keyboard music, non-western percussion, improvisation, and drum set. Justin has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by noted composers John Luther Adams, Christopher Adler, Adam Silverman, Blake Tyson, Halim El-Dabh, Ivan Treviño, and Brian Nozny. Justin currently holds the position of Principal Percussion with the Wintergreen Summer Performing Arts Festival, and appears regularly with The Richmond Symphony. He has performed with The Florida Orchestra, The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, The Aspen Festival Orchestra, The Eastern Music Festival Faculty Orchestra, and the Tallahassee Symphony.
Justin currently serves as President of the Virginia / Washington, D.C. chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He has served on the PAS University Pedagogy Committee, PAS Drum Set Committee, and has published articles in Percussive Notes, the official research journal of PAS.
Justin earned the Doctorate of Music from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Central Arkansas. Justin’s primary teachers include Dr. John Parks, Dr. Blake Tyson, and Mr. Leon Anderson. He is an endorser of Pearl/Adams musical instruments, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo drumheads.