Dr. Joel Bluestone's active schedule included performances in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, California, Florida and South Carolina. Other recent performances included Amsterdam, Australia, Estonia and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Dr. Bluestone is a Co-Founder/Percussionist with the northwest's premiere contemporary new music ensemble, "Fear No Music." He is the Principal Timpanist with Sinfonia Concertante Orchestra and has been the Principal Timpanist with the Missouri Symphony.
For many years, his day job was being a Music Professor at Portland State University, where he was the head of the Percussion Department since 1989 and retired in 2022. In addition, was the Assistant Chairperson of the Music Department and the Graduate Coordinator. He received his BA from the University of California, at San Diego and his MM and DMA from the State University of New York, at Stony Brook. His principal teachers have been the contemporary percussionists Raymond Des Roches, Jean-Charles Francios and Richard Horowitz, Principal Timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.