BIO
Anthony Miranda has been an active performer, educator and composer for over 35 years. During this time his career has evolved in many fascinating directions, including that of a Hollywood producer of A-list films. His first Hollywood film, “Safety Glass” stars Steve Coogan, Hillary Duff, Josh Peck, Molly Shannon and Olivia Thirlby. He is the Executive Producer as well as co-composer of the original music.
As an educator, he became a private instructor at the age of twelve. Within a few years, he had already developed a waiting list of students for his private teaching studio. He graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Music Performance from the University at Buffalo department of music in the spring of 1980. Immediately that fall he was offered a faculty position at Villa Maria College. In addition, during the 1980’s he held faculty positions at Daemen College and Buffalo State College where he taught percussion and percussion ensemble for several years. In 1985, he joined the faculty at the University at Buffalo working with the legendary Jan Williams teaching percussion and percussion ensemble. Holding the title of Assistant Professor in 1998, he became the exclusive director of the Percussion Department and historic University at Buffalo Percussion Ensemble until his resignation in 2007.
As a composer he has achieved an international reputation for the use of the Drum Set as a multiple-percussion solo instrument. This journey began in 1978 when completing a book entitled “Eleven Solos for the Drum Set” published by Music for Percussion Inc. (now Colla Voce Music Publishing). Since this publication, Anthony Miranda has written and published several other works exploiting the Drum Set as a legitimate solo instrument. Some of these works have included Independent Motion (published by Ludwig Music Publishing Co.), Collage, Suite for Unaccompanied Drum Set, Polysonics (drum set concerto commissioned by Kent State Percussion Ensemble), Overture for Drum Set and Percussion Ensemble and Three Solos for Bass Guitar and Drum Set, also composed by James Kurzdorfer. Mr. Miranda has also written and published several other pieces for percussion and percussion ensemble such as Inventions on a Polyrhythmic Motif, Displacements, Latina Pequena, Two Episodes for Solo Snare Drum, Percussive Personification, among others.
In 2006, Westar Music located in Toronto Canada, published an acoustic percussion library for licensing. Anthony Miranda composed and performed all tracks in this library. Currently he has formed a publishing company Teretone Productions LLC. This company has an extensive music library for licensing of television, motion picture and other commercial music needs.
He began his performing career over 35 years ago as a soloist with orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles and most styles of commercial music. He has been a performer and full time musician most of his entire life. In the area of contemporary music, he has performed and premiered the music of countless composers. Some of which have included John Cage, Lucas Foss, Morton Feldman, John Bergamo, Rocco DiPietro, Chester Mais, William Ortiz, David Vayo, Eric Moe, Lou Harrison, Earl Brown, David McBride, Richard Trythall, William Koteg (The SEM ensemble) and Jeffrey Statleman, just to name a few. Composers whom have written pieces for Anthony Miranda are David Vayo, William Ortiz, Rocco DiPietro, and Chester Mais to name a few. Performances at Carnegie Hall, Alternative Museum, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Slee Concert Hall and Center for the Arts, are a small cross section of the dozens of contemporary performance venues. Participation in such New Music Festivals, and June in Buffalo, and the North American New Music Festival (directors Jan Williams and Yvar Mikhashoff) for multiple consecutive years enabled countless premier performances with dozens of composers. In 2005, the University of Buffalo awarded him the IRCRAF Grant with his fellow faculty member Tressa Gorman Crehan of the University at Buffalo dance department. This research grant was for collaboration of dance and percussion music with a premier concert performance at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts. Additional collaborations with Italian hand drummer and virtuoso Alessandra Belloni paved the way for additional research with ethnic dance and percussion music. Alessandra and Anthony performed several concerts together in venues in New York City, Toronto, Ontario, Buffalo, New York and a featured show case performance at the PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention) in 2004.
In the category of commercial music, he has been both Drum Set artist and Percussionist for such artists as Madonna, Natalie Cole, (Grammy award winning Unforgettable Tour), Johnny Mathis, Gladys Knight, Marvin Hamlish, Michael Damean, Patty Weaver, Englebert Humperdink, Tom Jones, Milton Berle, Jim Nabors and many others. As a Jazz musician he has performed with the Count Basie Orchestra, John Mosca, (Buddy Rich Band, Blue Note House Band , Thaddeus Jones), David Friedman, and Willa Dorsey among others. He was a featured jazz artist at the Morningside College Jazz festival in Sioux City Iowa.
His career has also expanded in the category of theatrical productions. Some of the highlights would include Man of La Mancha, starring Robert Goulet, Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, The King and I, starring Yul Brenner, and West Side Story, starring Jack Wagner.
As a sought after first call studio musician, he has recorded for hundreds of films, albums, commercials, and network television shows. Mr. Miranda has contracts and affiliations with Sony Pictures, Amherst Records, NBC, MGM Pictures, Tri Star Motion Pictures, Insight Pictures, NGN Productions and Lorimar Telepictures Corporation. His most recent percussion credit is in the movie Impulse, starring Angus McFadden (released by Sony Pictures).
