Erin Duke

Erin Duke is a conductor, composer, educator and performer based in Los Angeles, CA. Erin is passionate about her work with young musicians - teaching both percussion and conducting to a wide gambit of students from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps, Citrus College as well Azusa Pacific University. As a performer, Erin has toured most of the continental U.S. as a concert percussionist and has had the immense opportunity to play under conductors Larry Livingston and Grant Gershon of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

She currently serves as a graduate conducting associate at Azusa Pacific University where she is completing her M.M. in Instrumental Conducting under the guidance of Dr. John Burdett. Erin holds a double Bachelor of Music degree from Azusa Pacific University in both Percussion Performance and Composition. Throughout her studies, Erin has found research interests including the perceived effect of transformational imagery verses veridical language in rehearsal efficacy and the interrelationship of Spanish and French wind scoring practices of the twentieth century.

Erin has significant experience composing for wind band and percussion ensemble. She has been acclaimed for her percussion works via the publishing company Tapspace Percussion. Her works have brought new insight to the chamber percussion repertoire and these works have made percussion repertoire lists in numerous states as well as being featured in the Percussive Notes journal. Erin has long-standing associations with a number of musical organizations, including the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Her interest in the wind band has led her to pursue transcriptions of orchestral works for winds and percussion.

Throughout her studies, Erin was fortunate to have had extended study with Prof. Bill Schlitt, Prof. Christopher Russell and Prof. Michael Lee. In addition, she has had masterclass and lecture instruction from Adam Schoenberg, Bruce Carver, Naoko Takada, Raynor Carroll, Dr. Emily Threinen and Dr. Abel Ramirez. Most recently she has earned conducting grants from CBDNA and the University of Miami receiving the Mike Moss Study Grant and an instrumental conducting fellowship at the inaugural Frost Young Women Conductors' Symposium.