Rick Kurasz is currently Director of Percussion Studies at Western Illinois University. His duties include teaching applied percussion, directing the Western Illinois University Percussion Ensemble and the Western Illinois University Steel Bands. He received his B.M. in Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his M.M. from the University of Akron, and his D.M.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In addition to teaching, Rick has performed in numerous orchestras including the Akron Symphony, Sinfonia da Camera, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Idaho State Civic Symphony, Knox-Galesburg Symphony and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Rick is also a performer of contemporary music and continues to commission and perform new works...(click details for full Bio)