ProfessorJustin DeHart

GRAMMY-nominated percussionist Justin DeHart is recognised for his versatility across classical, pop, world, and electronic music traditions. Originally from Sacramento, California, he has built an international career that bridges genres and cultures. A member of the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) from 2009 to 2022, his performing credits include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, LA Phil New Music Group, I.C.E., red fish blue fish, and collaborations with Stewart Copeland and Cheap Trick.

Justin’s musical practice has been profoundly shaped by sustained, practice-led study of Asian percussion traditions. A disciple of North Indian tabla master Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri (Lucknow gharana) since 1999, he has also studied with Pt. Arup Chattopadhyay (Farukkhabad gharana). He travelled to India to study South Indian drumming with T.H. Vikku Vinayakaram and was later awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to undertake nine months of intensive mridangam study with T.H. Subash Chandran in 2001. These experiences continue to inform his approach to rhythm, pedagogy, and collaborative music-making.

His engagement with Balinese music is centred in New Zealand, where he is Director of the Udgita Canda Gamelan Ensemble, the country’s oldest Balinese gamelan. Between 2017 and 2021, Justin revitalised the ensemble in close collaboration with Balinese artist I Made Kartawan, re-establishing its performance, teaching, and community outreach activities. Through concerts, workshops, and interdisciplinary collaborations, the ensemble actively sustains Balinese music and dance practice in New Zealand while fostering meaningful cultural exchange.

Justin appears on over 100 recordings spanning solo, chamber, and contemporary projects on labels including Innova, HatHut, Mode, Sub Pop, and Rattle Records. His debut album Strange Paths was described by Percussive Notes as “mesmerizing” for its “palette of sounds and intricate weaving of lines.” The Complete Early Percussion Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen on MODE Records won the German Critics’ Prize (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) for Best New Music Release of 2015. His solo projects Landfall: NZ Percussion Vol. 1 and Towards Midnight: NZ Percussion Vol. 2 were finalists for Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa | Best Classical Artist at the 2021 and 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, respectively.

Holding degrees from CSU Sacramento (B.M.), CalArts (M.F.A.), and UC San Diego (D.M.A.), Justin brings extensive performance, research, and teaching experience to his role as Professor of Music at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is a YAMAHA Performing Artist and endorses Black Swamp Percussion, REMO, Sabian, and Innovative Percussion Inc.