Bob Accurso received his AS degree in Music from Villa Maria College and his BFA degree in Music Performance from the State University of New York at Buffalo where he studied with Lynn Harbold and Jan Williams. He has served as Instructor of Percussion for Villa Maria College and for the State University College at Buffalo. Bob has been a member of the Maelström Percussion Ensemble since 1986 and has  been its Executive Director since 1990. With Maelström, he has performed for the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts, the Kennedy Center, the DCI World Championships, and at universities and concert halls across the country. Bob is an Artist/Endorser for KAT Electronic Percussion, and recently composed and performed a work for solo electronic percussionist for the Creative Education Foundation’s 2002 International Conference. He has been selected by The Commissioning Project to compose a major new work for percussion in 2003. A mallet player, drum-set artist, hand drummer, multiple percussionist, and composer, Bob has devoted  his career to exploring the vast and dynamic world of percussion. His influences and interests cover a wide spectrum of  musical genres including classical music, contemporary chamber music, jazz, music from the Afro-Cuban tradition, and Middle Eastern Music.

Ted Reinhardt started playing drums when he was 4 years old and was already playing professionally with various dixieland groups by the age of  9. Ted studied with some of the best teachers in Western New York, including Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra percussionists, John Roland and Lynn Harbold, and jazz drumming luminary, Louis Marino. In the late 70’s, Ted became one of the driving forces of the popular jazz group, Spyro Gyra, performing on their Platinum selling “Morning Dance” album. After leaving Spyro Gyra, he formed the progressive fusion group, Gamalon, reaching Billboard’s Top Ten with their first release. With Gamalon, Ted has recorded six CD’s and collaborated and toured with jazz great, Ernie Watts. Ted joined the Maelström Percussion Ensemble in 2001 and was recently inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

Kristen Shiner McGuire is the Director of Percussion Studies at Nazareth College of Rochester, where she has taught since 1984.  In 1998 she received the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, and her Percussion Ensemble has performed at state and national conventions.  Kristen received her Master's degree in Percussion Performance and a Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School and has studied with the Japanese marimba virtuoso, Keiko Abe, at the Toho School of Music in Tokyo.
     Kristen has been performing as a solo and ensemble percussionist, marimbist, orchestral player, and jazz vocalist for over 25 years.  She has performed with Clark Terry, Mickey Rooney, Johnnie Mathis, the Rochester Philharmonic and New Japan Philharmonic orchestras, among others.  Recently she has been touring the world with Jon Seiger and the All Stars: A Tribute To Louis Armstrong as the drummer and "Ella" vocalist. This authentic 6 piece group has performed at the New Orleans and Ocho Rios (Jamaica) Jazz Festivals, where they have received much acclaim.  Kristen is also the drummer and singer for the all female pop trio, The Pop Tarts, which has recently recorded a cd and performs regularly in St. Thomas.  In 2001 Kristen joined the Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble.
   A published author and composer, Kristen has written works for marimba, timpani, and percussion ensemble. Juniper for solo marimba is soon to be published by Kendor.  Her articles appear in the Instrumentalist, Percussive Notes, and School Music News.  She has served as the Secretary and New York State Chapter President of the Percussive Arts Society; currently she serves on the Board for PAS and is New York State Chapter Advisor.  She has a private teaching studio and lives with her husband David and their four animals.

Tiffany Nicely is a percussionist, composer and music theorist who holds degrees from the University of New Mexico and the State University of New York at Buffalo.  She has been a member of the Maelström Percussion Ensemble since 2001. Nicely also performs with the music and spoken word ensemble, Lake Affect, and with world music ensembles, Diaspora Drumming and the Twelve Eight Path Band.  She is currently an adjunct faculty member at SUNY Fredonia where she teaches percussion and music theory.  An active freelance performer, she has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Clarence Summer Orchestra. Nicely also works as a teaching artist with Musicians United  for Superior Education (MUSE) and the Arts in Education Institute of Western New York, bringing music into public school classrooms.