JMU Percussion Ensemble

The JMU Percussion Ensemble, directed by Casey Cangelosi, consists of nearly 30 students and has performed throughout the East Coast, including concerts at the Virginia Music Educators Association Convention and Virginia Days of Percussion. They were selected to perform a feature concert at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Philadelphia. Most recently, the ensemble created two podcast videos featured on the VicFirth website, and toured Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In the spring of 2009, 2007 and 2006, the ensemble won the NABBA Adult Class Percussion Ensemble Contest held in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2004, the group won the small ensemble contest at PASIC held in Nashville, Tennessee. They were chosen to perform the keynote concert at the 2003 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. The JMU Percussion Ensemble is an “all Zildjian” ensemble and proudly endorses Vic Firth sticks.

Ralph Sorrentino teaches applied percussion and directs the Percussion Ensemble at West Chester University. Ralph serves as Principal Percussionist with Opera Philadelphia and Section Percussionist with the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra. He performs as a substitute percussionist with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with whom he has performed under the batons of many of the world's great conductors (Riccardo Muti, Sir Simon Rattle, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Kirill Petrenko, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson Thomas) in many of the world's great concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Chicago's Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Ravinia Festival and the Bravo! Vail Festival). Ralph serves as Principal Percussionist with the Bay Atlantic Symphony and Symphony in C, and he has performed with the Russian National Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Philly Pops, Orchestra 2001, and the New World, Delaware, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Kennett and Reading Symphonies. Ralph has performed for several world leaders and dignitaries, including HRH Prince Charles and Pope Francis.

Ralph, along with flutist Sophia Anastasia, is a founding member of Electrum Duo. The Duo's November 2008 New York City debut at Bargemusic was favorably reviewed in the December 1, 2008 edition of The New York Times. Electrum Duo has presented recitals in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia. Ralph's debut solo percussion album, multiplicity, was released in October 2014 and is available on iTunes and Amazon.com. 

Ralph joined the percussion faculty at West Chester University in August 2004 and he currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor. Ralph holds an M.M. in Orchestral Performance from Temple University, as well as a B.M. in Music Performance and a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University. His principal teachers include Alan Abel (retired Associate Principal Percussionist of The Philadelphia Orchestra), Matthew Strauss (Section Percussionist with the Houston Symphony) and Chris Hanning.

Ralph is an artist endorser for SABIAN cymbals.