Michael Downing is a founding member and the Executive Director of Orphic Percussion.  He is a section percussionist with the Sacramento Philharmonic and the Stockton Symphony.  Educator positions include Professor of Percussion at California State University, Stanislaus, and adjunct professor at Fresno State School of Music.  Michael holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Fresno State and, as an active freelance musician, has performed with the San Francisco Symphony and virtually every orchestra in Central California. 

Michael has been featured as a soloist with the Phoenix Symphony and the Stockton Symphony performing "Uzu and Muzu from Kakaruzu".  The double percussion concerto written by Avner Dorman, was premiered by Michael and fellow percussionist Graham Thompson in 2012.  Additionally, he has been featured as the Vibraphone soloist for John Williams’ “Escapades” with Branford Marsalis and Johnathan Hulting-Cohen, and as a concerto soloist during a ten-day tour of Europe performing the exciting finale of Eric Ewazen’s “Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra.” He has performed on stage with Andrea Bocelli, and under the stage for the Broadway tour of Wicked.

 Michael studied primarily with Jim Babor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Jacob Nissly of the San Francisco Symphony, and Dr. Matthew Darling of Fresno State.  While preparing for orchestral auditions, he took lessons with such notable percussionists as Tom Freer, Richard Weiner, Trey Wyatt, Michael Rosen, and Rick Kvistad.

 Michael is an orchestral artist for Zildjian Cymbals, an artist for Freer Percussion, an educational artist for Marimba One, and part of the Blackswamp Percussion Educator Network.

Divesh Karamchandani is a San Francisco-based percussionist and Coordinator of Percussion at San Jose State University.  He is the Principal Percussionist of One Found Sound, Prism Percussion's co-founder, and Orphic Percussion's newest member. 

Karamchandani’s other notable engagements include the San Francisco Symphony, New Century Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Opera San Jose, and Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, among other ensembles.

Karamchandani advocates contemporary music and seeks to champion new works, especially by underrepresented composers. His firm belief in a more equitable and diverse artistic community has led to commissioning, premiering, and recording new compositions through his solo ventures and partnership with Prism Percussion. 

Karamchandani is honored to be acknowledged as a Marimba One Educational Artist and proudly endorses Marimba One instruments.  He studied under the tutelage of Jack Van Geem, Jacob Nissly, James Lee Wyatt III, Chris Woodham, and Allen Brown.

Highlights from the 2017-2018 season include the debut of his new electroacoustic solo show ELISION, a European Tour as Co-Principal of the World Percussion Group, the world premiere of Paul Lansky’s Metal Light for the Percussive Arts Society, and a performance of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Additionally, he performed Peter Maxwell Davies’ seminal Eight Songs for a Mad King with Ensemble id, a Rochester, NY-based chamber collective. His latest project, the Leach | Peters Percussion Duo, debuted on the Eastman Summer Concert Series in July 2018.

Sean Clark is a performer, educator, and composer based in Northern California. He is the Director of Percussion and Assistant Director of Instrumental Music at Saratoga High School in Saratoga, CA, where he manages all aspects of the percussion program and works intimately with Saratoga’s Symphonic Band and String Orchestra. His duties include Marching Band, Marching Band PE, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band (I & II) and Winter Percussion (A and World). Since 2018, Sean has served as the Battery Caption Head, Arranger, and Program Coordinator for the Marching Band and Winter Percussion ensembles. Under his direction, the Saratoga High School Winter Percussion competed for the first time in the Percussion Scholastic World (PSW) division and received 9th place at the prestigious WGI World Championships in Dayton, OH.

Outside of Saratoga’s music program, Sean works intimately with other programs around the United States as an arranger, design consultant, and clinician. Since 2018, he has held multiple roles with Blue Devils Performing Arts. Currently, Sean serves as the Percussion Caption Head, Battery Arranger, and Staff Coordinator at the Blue Devils “B” corps. Since 2019, he has been one of the Battery Technicians for the prestigious Blue Devils “A” corps. More recently, Sean has spent his efforts founding a youth marching indoor percussion ensemble based in Northern California, “Thesis.” Established in 2021, Thesis aims to equip aspiring teacher-performers with skills to effectively teach and network with programs in need of high quality instruction. In 2023, Thesis was acquired by Blue Devils Performing Arts, becoming BDPA’s most recent performing ensemble. Sean currently serves as the Creative Director and Battery Arranger for Thesis.

As a performer, Sean has been fortunate enough to perform and present clinics internationally and throughout the United States. In 2018, he co-founded the California percussion quartet, “Orphic,” a new music percussion ensemble devoted towards commissioning new works for chamber percussion ensembles. At Orphic, Sean serves as a performer and Operations Director. Orphic has served as Artist in Residency for Los Positas Community College, presented signature concert programs at the University of the Pacific, and has been a feature ensemble for private benefactor concerts for the Stockton Symphony. More notably, Orphic performed in the Nuremberg Day of Percussion and Austria Day of Percussion as guest artists in 2019 and 2022. As a performer with Orphic, Sean has most enjoyed workshopping new compositions with living composers and performing these works to audiences around the world.

Sean completed his undergraduate studies at California State University, Fresno in Fresno, CA, graduating summa cum laude in Music Education and Percussion Performance. Here, Sean studied under experienced percussionists, Mr. Dave Gabrielson and Dr. Matthew Darling, and under the baton of Dr. Thomas Lowenheim and Dr. Gary P. Gilroy. In 2020, Sean earned a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Social Emotional Learning from National University.

Sean Clark is a proud endorser of Evans drumheads, Marimba One concert equipment, Pomark sticks and mallets

Stuart Langsam is a multi-faceted percussionist and music educator from Southern California. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from San Jose State University, a Master of Music Degree from Oklahoma State University, and is currently studying towards the Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Oklahoma.

Mr. Langsam was a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic for eight seasons performing Classics, Pops, Ballet, and Youth concerts. While in living in the Midwest he also performed with the Kansas City Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and Ft. Smith Symphony. Upon returning back to the Bay area he has had the opportunity play with a number of ensembles including the Santa Cruz Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, and Symphony Silicon Valley.

Mr. Langsam has also enjoyed playing and subbing for a variety of musical theaters including the world premiere of Ain’t too Proud-The Life and Times of The Temptations. His summers have included performances at the Mendocino Music Festival and the Carmel Bach Festival.

An avid instructor in the marching percussion activity, he has composed and arranged music for both high schools and universities in California and Oklahoma. In 2011, he presented a marching percussion exhibition at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention with the Oklahoma State University Drumline.

He has also presented clinics at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association and the PAS Oklahoma Day of Percussion. Mr. Langsam has been an Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa. He currently works with the SJSU Spartan Marching Band, Wilcox High School, and teaches privately at the Mid-Peninsula Music Academy and the Rhythm Academy of San Jose.

Mr. Langsam has partaken in Percussion Seminars at the Music Academy of the West and the Zivkovic International Marimba Festival. In 2005, he participated at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in both the Collegiate Rudimental Snare Competition (3rd place) and as a finalist in the Orchestral Mock Audition.