Michael Dolese

Michael Dolese (b. 1999) is a current Masters student at James Madison University and is a recent graduate of Shenandoah University with a Bachelors of Music Education and a Performance Certificate, graduating in the May of 2021. Michael has continued his path as an educator by maintaining a small private studio in addition to his current studies.

As a performer, Michael plays in a variety of settings including musical theatre pits, various ensembles at James Madison University, and other freelance opportunities in the Harrisonburg area. Some of his most notable achievements in the musical theatre world include being the drum set player on the collegiate premiere of “SOMETHING ROTTEN!” at Shenandoah Conservatory under the baton of Patrick Brady as well as working at Shenandoah Summer Music Theater as the percussionist in the pit orchestra for “Ragtime”, “Young Frankenstein”, and “The Sound of Music” under the direction of Dr. Tom Albert, Patrick Brady, and Dr. Karen Keating.

In addition to theatre, Michael has performed with various different programs including Shenandoah Conservatory’s symphony orchestra under the baton of Prof. Jan Wagner, Shenandoah’s Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Timothy Robblee, and Shenandoah’s Percussion Ensemble under the former direction of Prof. Earl Yowell. He now performs with the James Madison University Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Steve Bolstad, the Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Prof. Casey Cangelosi, and the Opera Orchestra under the direction of Prof. Foster Byers. In these ensembles he has played a variety of standard works ranging from the opera “Cosi Fan Tutte” by W.A. Mozart, “Third Construction” by John Cage, and “Symphony No. 4” by David Maslanka. Michael has also been taking some roles in new music in addition to more standard repertoire. He has performed many times with Shenandoah Conservatory’s contemporary music ensemble the “EDGE” Ensemble and has also performed in James Madison University’s 41st Contemporary Music Festival.

In addition to performing, Michael is also the co-host and co-founder of the TAMS Percussion Podcast hosted with his friends and colleagues Alfred “Sky” Fajardo, Taylor Muños and Sui-Lin Tam. This podcast discusses many different aspects of being a musician including how to deal with burnout and keeping a positive mindset in the face of adverse conditions. The show also interviews a large array of guests with exciting and unique backgrounds including the Principal Percussionist of the Kansas City Symphony Josh Jones, the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi Dr. Ksenija Komljenović, the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Shenandoah Conservatory Dr. Karlyn Viña, and many others.

Michael is a brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and a member of the Percussive Arts Society.