Silk Road Ensemble Artists

Shane Shanahan
percussion/composer (b. 1972, United States)

"I've studied a lot of music, such as Indian classical music, which, unlike
Western classical music, is mainly improvised. Improvising is a wonderful way to communicate with people even when you dont share a common language, because the music binds you in a different way from spoken language. It also allows you to feel what the music needs and put your own style into it more directly than in a fully notated piece."

Shane Shanahan combines drumming traditions from all over the world with Western classical and jazz techniques. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Eastman School of Music and his Master’s Degree from The Hartt School. He has presented workshops, performed and studied in North America, Europe and Asia. Constantly in search of new musical experiences, he has worked with Indonesian gamelans [gong and xylophone orchestra], Caribbean Steel Drum bands, throat singing choirs, free improvisation groups, contemporary music ensembles, orchestras, folk singers and a wide range of dancers. He is a member of frame drum master Glen Velez’s Handance Ensemble and has performed with many distinguished musicians including jazz legend Sonny Fortune and composer Philip Glass. He is currently a staff accompanist for the Juilliard School and the Alvin Ailey School.

Shane Shanahan performs with the Silk Road Ensemble and was featured in the photo exhibit entitled The Silk Road Ensemble: Portraits and Places. He appears on all three of the Ensemble’s albums released by Sony Classical: When Strangers Meet, Beyond the Horizon and New Impossibilities.

Learn more about Shane's work by visiting his website at shaneshanahan.com.