bio
Sebastian Buhts is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in percussion from Michigan State University. He earned his Master and Bachelor of Music degrees in percussion along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He has also studied at the Hochschule for Musik in Dresden, Germany, the Aspen Music Festival and School, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar, and Summer Tabla Workshop with Shawn Mativetsky.
Currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant at MSU, Sebastian teaches applied percussion, percussion methods, and coaches percussion ensemble. He is also on faculty at the Michigan State University Community Music School where he teaches western percussion and tabla lessons. Prior to his appointments in Michigan, Sebastian was on the adjunct percussion faculty at Belmont University. Sebastian’s doctoral research is titled, “Deconstructing the Tabla Solo: Analyzing an Oral Tradition through Western Notation.” As a recipient of the 2019 MSU Dissertation Completion Fellowship Award, Sebastian will complete his research by studying tabla with Pandit Kishor Mishra in Varanasi, India in Summer 2019.
As a freelance musician, Sebastian has performed in the U.S., Scotland, Austria, and Germany. He has performed with several regional orchestras including the Lansing, Midland, and Jackson Symphony Orchestras, the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, various musical theater companies, and has collaborated with numerous chamber groups including the Nashville Composer Collective and the Tri Star Brass Ensemble—comprised of faculty musicians from Vanderbilt, Belmont, and Middle Tennessee State Universities. In Summer 2018, Sebastian was a fellow at the New Music Sessions in Cortona, Italy, where he collaborated with and premiered three works for Pierrot ensemble. In Spring 2017, Sebastian performed with the MSU Wind Symphony at the College Band Directors National Association conference at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, MO. Shortly thereafter, the Wind Symphony recorded and released its CD, "Antique Violences. Music of John Mackey," on the Blue Griffin label. In Fall 2017, Sebastian performed with the MSU Percussion Ensemble at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Outside the realm of music, Sebastian enjoys staying active in CrossFit, Krav Maga, and the culinary arts.
