Ron Kobayashi (piano) and Cliff Hulling (drums)

Pianist and composer Ron Kobayashi has performed with a variety of musical artists including Mel Torme, Kenny Burrell, Peter Frampton, Tom Scott, Margaret Whiting, Peter White, Najee and Eric Marienthal. For five years Ron served as musical director for the Hollywood Diversity Awards where such stars as Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson and George Lopez were honored. Ron has made numerous television appearances including on The Johnny Yune Show, The Jerry Lewis Telethon, The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, American Stars and with Jackee' Harris on “Life After” on the TVONE Network. In 1992 Ron performed for President Bill Clinton. And in 2005 Ron was awarded “Role Model and Inspiration for Asian Americans in the Field of Music” by the Orange County Asian Business Association. Ron has recorded one DVD and five CDs with his trio, receiving airplay around the country.

Cliff Hulling received his bachelor of music degree in percussion performance and his master’s degree in theory and composition from California State University, Fullerton. He has worked as principal percussionist for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Chorale, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet and many other such groups. He freelances extensively and has worked with John Williams, Sarah Vaughn, Doc Severinsen, Henry Mancini, Ray Charles, Danny Elfman, Natalie Cole, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzac Pearlman, Placido Domingo and many other well-known musicians. Mr. Hulling is also a staff composer for the Ludwig Music Publishing Company where he published A Modern Approach to the Drum Set (1992) and A Collection of Marimba Solos (1987). He performed eighteen months with Disney’s production of Beauty and the Beast at the Schubert Theater. He was also the Drummer/Percussionist for the Los Angeles Premiere of the musical Rag Time at the Shubert Theater, which included performances on the 1997 Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He regularly performs at the Ahmanson Theater as a percussionist and some of his Broadway credits include performances of Wicked, Anything Goes, Fosee, Chicago, Titanic, Les Miserables, The Scarlet Pimpernel, South Pacific, City of Angels, Crazy For You, Sunset Boulevard, Drowsy Chaperone, Into the Woods, Edward Scissorhands, Follies, Young Frankenstein, A Chorus Line, 9 to 5, Cinderella, Dream girls, Little Shop of Horrors, The Sound of Music, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love And Murder and Mary Poppins.

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