Ron has been a free-lance percussionist since 1997, performing in a wide range of musical situations from marching percussion to live electronica. As a performer, he has toured internationally appearing in 43 U.S. states, Europe, and most major cities in Canada and Japan. He has performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, Four Aces, Sean Jones, Al Martino, Donadi, Julia Rich, The Gaylords, New Arts Jazztet, Galen Abdur-Razzaq, Marvin Stamm, Dominick Farinacci, Joanne Brackeen, Tatsuya Nakatani, Sony Holland, Maria Schneider, L2Ork, Sandy Duncan, Beat Kastley, Nick Hilscher, Robert Van Sice, Sylvia Smith, Steve Lippia, Dick Johnson, Eric Mandat, Bolokada Condé, Erica Azim, Marvin Hamlisch, Rapture 7, Christina Fontanelli, and Rum Runners, among others.
Ron has presented at two Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and International Society for Improvised Music Symposia, the Montreal Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, International Clarinetfest, NIME, LiWoLi, Athena Festival VI, Futurisms Centennial Conference, Sound Lines, RadiaLx, St. Louis New Music Circle, Jazz Education Network International Conference, Big Muddy Film Festival (2010 & 2011), Outside the Box New Music Festival (2007-2011), UNCG New Music Festival, U.S. Army Band Tuba/Euphonium International Conference, College Music Society National Convention, Music Educators National Convention, and numerous state and regional Music Education Association conferences, among others. In 2002 Ron was a finalist in the Percussive Arts Society International Multiple Percussion Competition. He is a co-founder of the Percussion Art Ensemble and the Youngstown Percussion Collective, and in 2005 he founded the Perkusiv Arts Elektronik; an ongoing series of sound events exploring the performance of existing, and the creation of new, electro-acoustic music, including 69 world premiers to date. Other performance credits include the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, Paducah Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Music from China, Southern Illinois Music Festival Orchestra, Warren Philharmonic, Warren Packard Band, Altgeld Chamber Players, and the Shenango Valley Lyric Opera.
Interests in noise, radio art, acoustic ecology, intermedia, interdisciplinary collaboration, and non-idiomatic improvisation have led to the creation of the Southern Illinois Improvisation Series (SiiS), organizing Fluxusconcerts, co-founding REDVIXA and duende entendre, and collaborative projects with artists specializing in performance art, video, spoken word, and sound art. The SiiS is a monthly series presenting sound events that explore interdisciplinary collaboration, technology integration, site-specific work, sound installations, sound empowerment, education, and documentation. REDVIXA is a sound-performance art duo with Violet Juno, and duende entendre is an ongoing collaboration with spoken word artist and bassist, Sam West. Additional interdisciplinary collaborators include Mary Beth Edelson, Terry Adkins, Kerry Laitala, Jay Needham, and Boris Chesakov.
As a composer, Ron has created more than 100 original compositions for various media encompassing numerous genres. His compositions have been performed throughout North America, South America, and Europe.
Originally from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, Ron Coulter (b. 1978) was raised on a dairy farm and eventually earned M.M. and B.M. degrees in Percussion Performance from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. His principle teachers include Dr. Glenn Schaft, Tony Leonardi, Dr. Stephen Gage, Feza Zweifel, John Riley, Erica Azim, Fred Morris, Bolokada Condé, and Nina DeCiancio.