Mike Ranelli relocated to the Washington DC area from southwest Virginia in 2004. While in Virginia, Mike was principal percussionist of the Lynchburg Symphony and also performed regularly with orchestras of Richmond, Roanoke, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Kingsport. He maintained a busy schedule of freelance performing in the Roanoke/Lynchburg area, appearing with the Mill Mountain Theatre, Opera Roanoke, the Jefferson Choral Society, area churches, and popular southwest Virginia jazz artists.



Since arriving in DC, Mike has performed with the Annapolis Symphony, the Harrisburg Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the Maryland Symphony, the Chesapeake Orchestra, and in the national touring production of the hit Broadway musical, The Producers in Richmond. He has also performed in local productions of Fiddler on the Roof and Pirates of Penzance, and in several Maryland churches. In addition to freelancing in the DC area, he still appears frequently as timpanist with the Greensboro Symphony.



Mike is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he served as Principal Percussionist of the Eastman Wind Ensemble under Donald Hunsberger, and performed professionally with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.



In Virginia, Mike served as percussion instructor at Roanoke College, Lynchburg College, Liberty University and Radford University. He has given clinics at colleges and high schools in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, and appeared as a clinician at the 2004 VA/DC Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion. He was percussion/rhythm instructor for the Roanoke's "Panamania" steel drum band and assisted with the Lord Botetourt High School percussion ensemble. Mike is a member of the Vic Firth Education Team and serves as Treasurer of the Maryland/Delaware Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.