Education
- DMA, University of Toronto
- MMus, University of Toronto
- BMus, University of Iowa
Biography
Dr. Michelle Colton is a versatile percussionist who has performed throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Central America. She frequently performs with the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, TO Live, and is a founding member of Oregano Percussion. She has performed with artists such as NEXUS, Keiko Abe, Michael Burritt, and Dame Evelyn Glennie. Dr. Colton commissioned and premiered Kevin Lau’s percussion concerto, "The Stars Are Not Aligned" with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. She also premiered her composition "Walk Through This Life" for choir and percussion duo with Pax Christi Chorale.
Her solo album, "Unpredictable Nature" features three original compositions as well as works by members of TorQ Percussion. She can also be heard on "Arlington" by Russell Hartenberger, and two JUNO Award-winning albums, "Detach" (2020) with Angela Schwarzkopf and Olivier Messiaen's "Turangalîla-Symphonie" (2025) with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto, and her Bachelor of Music degree with Teacher Certification from the University of Iowa. She has directed steelpan ensembles at the University of Toronto, Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Toronto District School Board, and has been guest faculty at Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Prairie Music Residency, MusicFest, Roy Ernst Music Institute, and the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European tours.
Dr. Colton is a Sessional Lecturer in Percussion at the University of Toronto, where she also founded and directs the Percussion Preparatory Department. She currently serves as the Ontario Percussive Arts Society President and is an artist and endorser of Pearl/Adams and Dream Cymbals.