Michael Udow

Biography

Michael Udow is a percussionist, composer, and Professor Emeritus of Percussion at the University of Michigan, where he taught from 1982 to 2011. He also enjoyed a long tenure as principal percussionist with The Santa Fe Opera (1968–2009). Udow is the author of Percussion Pedagogy: A Practical Guide for Studio Teachers, a comprehensive 472-page resource published by Oxford University Press, accompanied by 400 instructional videos.

As a performer, he has toured widely as a soloist and collaborated with artists and ensembles including Keiko Abe, Summit Brass, Equilibrium Dance and Percussion Duo, and Tone Road Ramblers. Udow has also served as composer-in-residence with the Colorado Chamber Orchestra, and his compositions have been recorded by leading ensembles such as the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Boulder Philharmonic.

His animated film Echoes of the Past earned major recognition, including an award at the Picasso Einstein Buddha International Film Festival (2020), along with multiple international festival honors. His sixth opera, Hurting, Healing, Hoping, is scheduled to premiere in October 2026 at the Gryphon Theatre.

SPECIALTIES:

Audition preparation
Applying for university teaching jobs
Percussion pedagogy
Composing for wind ensemble, orchestra, opera, chamber music
Opera and orchestra repertoire
Percussion design
Music notation
Percussion ensemble coaching

LANGUAGES:

English