Student 2021 Class > Varun Das
Varun Das
Varun Das is a jazz drummer, composer, and educator based in New Jersey/ New York. He received his online Specialist in Drums Certificate from Berklee College of Music (2013) and is currently an undergraduate student at Manhattan School of Music (2018-2022) assigned to the studio of John Riley and Kendrick Scott. He has played avidly in New York City, as a bandleader and a sideman, as well as in New Jersey / tri state area: At Manhattan School of Music, he has had the privilege to work under the direction of, and in some cases on the bandstand, with Paquito D’Rivera, Elio Villafranca, Miguel Zenon, Jim McNeely, and Harvie S.
Some of the honor bands and workshops he has been selected for are as follows: In 2018, he was selected as the Grammy Jazz Band drummer (also Grammy Alumni band drummer in 2019 and 2020) and attended the Vail Summer Jazz Workshop during the summer that year. In 2019, he was recognized as a National YoungArts Foundation jazz finalist (in jazz percussion). He was recognized by Downbeat Magazine as “Best/ Outstanding Soloist” in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 in the college category of the annual student music awards. Additionally, his composition for five saxophones, “State of Mind” was chosen as the winner piece in both the All Eastern (east coast) and New Jersey All State composition competitions in 2017.