Originally from Syracuse, New York, Marco Schirripa holds Bachelor’s degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Theory from Ithaca College, as well as a Master’s degree and doctorate in Percussion from Indiana University, where he was awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate. Dr. Schirripa currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Marco has performed on international stages, including the U.S. Navy Band Saxophone Symposium, the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, and several Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. He was named a finalist in the 2012 Percussive Arts Society International Marimba Competition, and took first place in both the 2013 Great Plains and 2014 Southern California International Marimba Competitions. He has also been active in the commissioning and premiering of works by composers as diverse as Masahiro Ishijima, Gordon Stout, Matthew Recio, Leroy Osmon, and Joshua Oxford. His playing appears on albums featuring the music of Gordon Stout, Dominick DiOrio, Leroy Osmon, and Amaury Leon Sosa. Marco’s compositions have been performed around the world and his work is available through C. Alan Publications and Keyboard Percussion Publications. Marco Schirripa is an Artist/Endorser for Sabian cymbals and Pearl/Adams percussion. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).