John Dawson

John Dawson is a percussionist and educator currently based out of Rochester, New York. As an accomplished solo and chamber performer, John has performed in competitions and recitals in North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2022, John was one of few U.S. competitors at the 7th World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Germany. John performed with other members of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble at the 2023 IPEA Competition in Shanghai, China.

Other recent accolades and notable performances include 1st prize at the 2023 Great Plains International Marimba Competition, a Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition honorable mention in 2022, and a concerto performance with the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra.

John is a member of Blacktop percussion, a percussion quartet currently based in Rochester, New York that aims to breathe new life into percussion chamber music by pursuing new commissions.

As a multifaceted educator, John currently holds positions that include adjunct faculty at Nazareth University, private percussion/drum set lesson instructor at The Hochstein School, and teaching assistant at the Eastman School of Music.

John received his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance with a minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin, his Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Northwestern University, and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music with a minor in Music Education.