Ethan Booher

Ethan Booher is a New York City–based composer and percussionist originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he studied under Dr. Andrew Bliss and Kevin Zetina, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music composition at NYU with Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, and Robert Honstein. Drawing on his percussion experience, he composes rhythmically focused music that integrates both acoustic and electronic elements.

Aestus, Marimba for Twelve Hands, premiered in March 2025 with the Indiana University Percussion Ensemble under Kevin Bobo. The piece explores the overwhelming, ceaseless motion of water, inviting performers and audiences to inhabit its world. 

Pattr, for solo marimba and percussion quartet (or backing track), won the 2025 Great Plains International Marimba Competition Composition Contest and premiered that July. This energetic piece passes rhythmic motifs between players while showcasing the soloist’s virtuosity.

Ethan’s works have been premiered by the UTK and IU Percussion Ensembles, and he has received commissions from Dr. Andrew Bliss. In 2025, he won the Great Plains International Marimba Competition Composition Contest, highlighting his emerging voice as a composer. His music often combines traditional instruments with live electronics, using tools such as Ableton Live and Max/MSP to create immersive, performative experiences that explore rhythm, texture, and spatial sound.