GLENN KOTCHE

Heralded by The Chicago Tribune for his "unfailing taste, technique and discipline," Glenn Kotche’s eclectic performances and original compositions have explored the creative use of rhythm and space through various percussion projects the past 20 years. Born in 1970 in Roselle, Illinois, Glenn studied percussion under James Campbell at the University of Kentucky. In 2007 the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts honored Kotche as a distinguished alumnus for his international contributions to percussion composition and performance. Following graduation, his various stints with groups and ensembles have resulted in participation on over 80 albums to date, including three recorded solo works, entitled Introducing, Next, and Mobile (the last released on Nonesuch Records). Kotche has composed several commissioned pieces for esteemed music ensembles. In 2007, the Kronos Quartet premiered Anomaly, a 25 minute, 7 movement piece at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Kotche has joined Kronos for several performances of Anomaly, notably at Carnegie Hall and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago (both in 2008). Bang on a Can All-Stars commissioned Kotche to write, Snap, which debuted at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in April 2008 and was featured during the re-opening of Lincoln Center's Alice Tulley Hall. His latest composition Double Fantasy, commissioned by and performed with Eighth Blackbird saw it's premiere at the Harris Theatre in Chicago. In the midst of composing for his solo efforts, Kotche joined the rock band, Wilco in 2001. Since joining as drummer/percussionist, Wilco's accomplishments include the gold-selling album “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”, the Grammy-winning “A Ghost Is Born”, the live double record “Kicking Television”, and most recently "Wilco (the album)", which debuted at #4 on the Billboard album charts. He also records and performs as one half of experimental jazz duo On Fillmore. Their album "Sleeps with Fishes" (Drag City, 2003 and Columbia Music Entertainment, 2007), landed them at the prestigious 2005 Percussion Pan Festival in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brazil. In November 2009, they will release "Extended Vacation", their latest full-length recording and first on the Dead Oceans label. On Fillmore has collaborated with the Brazilian trio, Moreno Veloso+2, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and scored director JT Petty's films cult films S&MAN and Blood Red Earth. Kotche is also one third of the trio - with Jim O’Rourke and Jeff Tweedy - that records and performs under the name Loose Fur. Kotche has written for Percussive Notes Magazine, the official publication of the Percussive Arts Society, published a series of articles entitled "DIY Percussion in Modern Drummer magazine, and contributed to the books Wilco Book (Picturebox Inc. 2004) and the Drum and Percussion Cookbook (Meredith Music Publications 2008).