Percussion Faculty

Michael Van Wirt

MICHAEL VAN WIRT joined the percussion section of the Colorado Symphony in 2015. He has performed with the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, and was a New World Symphony Fellow. Michael was also a member of Seraphic Fire’s Firebird Chamber Orchestra, serving as timpanist from 2012-2015. He is an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and the Alan Abel Summer Percussion Seminar.

Michael holds degrees from the University of Denver and the University of Miami. As an educator, Michael has taught at the Lamont School of Music Summer Academy, the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and was Artist-in-Residence at the University of Northern Colorado. Michael also participates in the Colorado Symphony’s education and outreach programs, including the Master Mentor, Mini Musica, and Canta y Baila Conmigo programs. He is currently head of the percussion department at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, where he teaches percussion, timpani, and directs the Lamont Percussion Ensemble.

Michael and his wife Elizabeth perform regularly as a percussion duo, including performances at the University of Denver, Regis University, and the Colorado Symphony’s Drums of the World concert. He is a Zildjian performing artist and clinician. In his free time, Michael enjoys skiing and hiking, completing the Colorado Trail in the summer of 2012.

Elizabeth Van Wirt

ELIZABETH VAN WIRT teaches Applied Percussion at Regis University.

Elizabeth performs regularly as an orchestral percussionist, chamber musician, and soloist. Recent engagements include the Colorado Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and Colorado Music Festival. Elizabeth is a member of the South Florida based Nu Deco Ensemble, an innovative 21st century orchestra.

Elizabeth was the 3rd prize laureate of the prestigious Universal Marimba Competition 2011 in Belgium. She is recorded as a soloist on Ney Rosauro’s disc “Early Mallet Works” and most recently featured on the 2016 album “Onyx” released by the Society of Composers, Inc. In addition to her varied performance career, she has maintained a schedule of teaching private lessons and in classroom settings, as well as at the collegiate level (Miami Dade College, 2011-2015). She holds two degrees from the University of Miami Frost School of Music and a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

Elizabeth currently lives in Denver, Colorado, and is a proud Yamaha and Vic Firth Artist.