Theodor Milkov is recognized as a leading figure in contemporary marimba performance. Founder and artistic director of MMI & Festival, he developed the distinctive Pianistic Approach, expanding the instrument’s technical and expressive possibilities.

The principles of this approach are presented in his book Four Mallet Method—My Pianistic Approach. His MMI course explores how musical intention can be translated into the mechanics of movement, sound production and phrasing.

Through close mentoring, he guides young artists to think and create from the music itself, develop self-awareness and find their own artistic voice.

Arjan Jongsma is a Dutch percussionist, marimbist, timpanist and educator whose career spans solo, chamber and orchestral performance. He has performed with leading ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Bach Society.

His MMI course explores sound production, articulation, dynamic colour and musical interpretation. Participants will connect efficient mechanics and the Pianistic Approach directly to phrasing and musical direction.

Britton-René Collins is an internationally active percussionist and educator whose work spans solo, chamber, orchestral and collaborative performance. A member of the percussion faculty at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, she is a leading innovator in six-mallet marimba performance.

Her progressive MMI course introduces extended six-mallet technique through detailed, step-by-step work on essential mechanics, control, sound production, fluid movement, independence and musical expression. Carefully structured exercises and etudes help each participant develop a confident and personal approach to six-mallet playing.

Participants will also explore important six-mallet literature and its historical development, apply the technique to selected repertoire, and perform short excerpts in a final class presentation.

Anders Kann Elten is an award-winning Danish concert marimbist and educator, and a faculty member at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the University of Stavanger’s Faculty of Performing Arts.

His MMI course explores how both Stevens and traditional grips can serve sound, phrasing and musical direction. Drawing on his Paganini/Liszt transcriptions and extensive work with keyboard repertoire, Anders connects refined mechanics directly to musical expression.

Through detailed guidance and practical solutions, he helps participants address their most demanding questions and develop a more versatile, confident and personal approach to the instrument.

Emily Ickes presents Stevens technique not simply as a way of holding the mallets, but as a holistic approach to movement—one that supports musical expression, technical efficiency and long-term physical health. After serious playing-related injuries forced her to rebuild her technique from the ground up, Emily immersed herself in Leigh Howard Stevens’s Method of Movement and developed a sustainable, pain-free way of playing. This experience now shapes her teaching and her commitment to helping students eliminate unnecessary effort while building a clear and dependable technique that serves the music.

Emily’s course explores energy conservation, thoughtful analysis and reflection, inner and outer cantilevers, interval and lateral shifts, muscle-group hierarchy, piston strokes, gravity and double vertical strokes, single independent and alternating strokes, and blocking as a practice method. The aim is to develop greater physical awareness, freedom of movement and a more focused, intentional approach to practising and performing.

“Whether you play Stevens, Burton, Traditional (or even Gordy grip!) the principles of Stevens technique are universal and will serve all marimba players.”

At MMI, Galen Lemmon will lead focused ensemble work designed to strengthen listening, rhythmic precision, balance and musical communication.

Participants will rehearse selected repertoire in carefully guided sessions, learning how individual preparation contributes to a unified ensemble sound. The course culminates in an evening performance by Galen Lemmon and the student ensemble.

With more than 30 years of teaching experience, David Sankus developed the percussion studio at Valley Conservatory of the Arts.

Through his MMI ensemble course, David will guide participants in thoughtfully matched groups according to their experience and current level. Carefully selected repertoire will allow each ensemble to work at an appropriate pace while developing listening, timing, balance and collaborative musicianship.

His clinic, Love Your Drum Pad, explores how focused drum-pad exercises translate directly into refined mallet playing.

Through practical exercises centred on finesse, flow, and relaxation, participants will develop greater ease, control, and musical freedom at the instrument.

Dmytro Kyryliv is a Ukrainian composer, clarinetist and audio artist whose work moves between contemporary classical music, film, video games and digital media. His professional practice combines composition, performance, sound design and music technology.

Drawing on his teaching experience in audio engineering, interactive music, music technology and AI at the University of Toronto, the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and the Canadian Music Centre, Kyryliv’s MMI course will guide participants through the relationship between acoustic sound and the digital domain. The course will introduce recording, editing, sound transformation, synthesis, virtual instruments, mixing and music production while developing practical skills in a Digital Audio Workstation.

For the final project, participants will collaborate with performers to record their repertoire and produce a finished piece of music prepared for digital distribution.