John Bimbiras

John Bimbiras is Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology. He holds a B.M. in jazz and classical guitar performance from Towson University (2011), as well as an M.A. in composition from The City College of New York (2016), where he studied with David Del Tredici. His research focuses on politics, transnationalism, and the music of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. He is also interested in Lithuanian polyphonic songs and Algerian Chaabi. After graduating from CCNY, John became a Research Associate at the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute and helped the Institute secure a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to create an interactive website entitled A History of Dominican Music in the U.S. During his time at CUNY DSI, he also transcribed and arranged an entire collection of original manuscripts from the composer and bandleader Rafael Petitón Guzmán (1894-1983).

As a guitarist and vocalist, John began performing in bars and nightclubs in Baltimore City at the age of twelve. He released a CD of original material with his band Everyman in 2011, produced by Mike Pope. In New York City, he performed regularly at venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, Pianos, and the Shrine. Here in Austin, John has been performing with the UT Hispanic Caribbean Ensemble, Tambores Del Pueblo, and other groups. Recently, he also wrote music for the Tiny Banger, a play by Alice Stanley that was premiered by Trinity Street Players.