Percussion Instructors

Devon Fornelli

**(BMus UBC; MMus Toronto)**

Percussionist Devon Fornelli has extensive experience as a soloist, an orchestral percussionist, and as a chamber instrumentalist. His range of talent covers all the diverse areas of percussion and drums from the orchestral percussion section to contemporary art music, and most traditions in-between. Mr. Fornelli has been heard on CBC radio, on film and television, and has taught percussion at the College and University levels.

Laura Thomas

**(BMus: McMaster; MFA Bard College)**

Laura Thomas is a conductor, arranger, composer, percussionist and teacher. In addition to being Principal Percussionist and Associate Conductor of the Niagara Symphony, she is currently Music Director of the Niagara Youth Orchestra. She is the also Artistic Director of Niagara's Choralis Camerata and the Hamilton/Niagara area WomEnchant Chorus. Ms. Thomas holds a Master of Fine Arts in Conducting from New York's prestigious Bard College, where she studied with Harold Farberman. She is a graduate of Hamilton's Mohawk College and McMaster University, where she studied percussion (with Jean Norman Iadaluca) and composition. As a percussionist/timpanist she has performed with the Aradia Orchestra, the Te Deum Baroque Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Hamilton Philharmonic, and other ensmbles around the Southern Ontario/Western New York area. Ms. Thomas freelances on drum set in jazz and swing ensembles and is a member of BroadBand, Niagara's popular folk/roots band. Her recording credits include the Aradia Ensemble's CD for Naxos Records, "Ballet Music for the Sun King", the Niagara College Jazz Band's "On the Move", Rich Blend's self titled CD, sisterLune's "Wonder", and BroadBand's "LIVE at the Black Sea Hall" and "BroadBand", the St. Catharines and Area Arts Council's compilation "The Art of Peace" and the WBFO (NPR Buffalo) compilation recording "WBFO Gives me the Blues Vol. 5".