Gwen Dease

Percussion

Gwen Dease is a percussion instructor at the Michigan State University Community Music School. She is also an assistant professor of percussion with the MSU College of Music.

She has earned degrees from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory and the Yale School of Music.

Ms. Dease was awarded the Keiko Abe Prize at the second World Marimba competition in Japan, and place first in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ ARTS competition.  She has also won the performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music, the Outstanding Young Musician award from the Peabody Conservatory and the Governor’s Scholarship from the State of Michigan.

She has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, te Solisti New York Orchestra and the Yale Percussion Group. Thrasher has been a performed many solo recitals in the United States and Japan, and was a member of the Eastman Wind Ensemble during its last tour of Japan and Taiwan. She also performed with Eastman Philharmonia and the Interlochen Philharmonic.

Ms. Dease has been an instructor at Yale University, where she taught percussion and acted as an ensemble coach. She also was an instructor at the Peabody Conservatory, teaching marimba and orchestra percussion techniques.  She has also led master classes at various schools including the Peabody Conservatory, Interlochen Arts Camp, and Roberts Wesleyan University.