Mario Butera , Percussion Phone: (412) 498-3979 Email: mbutera1@gmail.com
Mario Butera received his Bachelor of Music Performance degree in 2009 from Youngstown State University.  His teachers include Dr. Glenn Schaft, Rob Ferguson, and Nathan Douds.  Over the past few years, Mario has had the opportunity to perform in a variety of venues.  Some include the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, Christ Church at Grove Farm, Youngstown Percussion Collective, YSU’s Marching Pride, Dana Symphony Orchestra, Dana Chamber Orchestra, Dana Concert Band, YSU Percussion Ensemble, and YSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble.  He has also instructed many music programs including Carlynton High School, Ambridge High School, Struthers High School, Edison High School, and the Stambaugh Youth Concert Band.  Butera is a proud alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, where he will accompany his brothers to New Orleans to build homes for Habitat for Humanity in May, 2010.  For four years, Mario was also a member of the Youngstown Percussion Collective (YPC), a percussion advocacy group at YSU.  With the YPC, he has assisted in the management of various projects such as the 2006 PAS Ohio Day of Percussion and a recent commissioned work for saxophones and percussion by New York composer John Hollenbeck. Butera also is a co-director of the West Allegheny High School Percussion Ensemble, offers private percussion instruction at Lazier’s Harmony Studios (www.solothing.com), and is proudly serving his fifth season with the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (www.pypo.org) where he is serving as Orchestra Manager and Percussion Coordinator.  In addition to teaching orchestral percussion, managing logistics, and maintaining a very organized library, Mario is helping to organize PYPO’s concert tour of the Czech Republic in July, 2010.