Formed in 2012 by percussionist John Lane and trumpeter Amanda Pepping, Lungta is dedicated to creating original works and a personal repertoire based largely on collaborations with composers and artists of various disciplines. The duo is currently in residence at Sam Houston State University.
"Lungta" is a Tibetan word meaning "wind-horse" and is associated with positive energy or life force.
John Lane is an artist whose creative work and collaborations extend through percussion to poetry/spoken word and theater. As a performer, he has appeared on stages throughout the Americas, Australia, and Japan. Commissioning new works and creating interdisciplinary collaborations are integral to John's work. Over the last few years, he has been connected with a number of composers including Peter Garland, Emiliano Pardo, Mara Helmuth, Christopher Deane, John Luther Adams, Kyle Gann, Michael Byron, Wen Hui Xie, Kazuaki Shiota, Mark Applebaum and David Farrell. John has several on-going collaborations with writer Ann McCutchan, poet Todd Boss, percussionist Allen Otte, and has created original music for choreographer/dancer Hilary Bryan and granite sculptor Jesús Moroles.
Currently, John is the Director of Percussion Studies and Associate Professor of Percussion at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Music from Stephen F. Austin State University. John is a Yamaha Performing Artist and is an Artist with Innovative Percussion, Evans Drumheads, and Zildjian Cymbals.
Amanda Pepping enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, educator, and scholar. She has appeared as a soloist throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.
In 2005-2006 Amanda was a Fulbright fellow in Karlsruhe, Germany, studying the Baroque trumpet with world-renowned trumpet soloist, historian, and teacher Dr. Edward Tarr. As a baroque trumpeter, she has performed with groups such as New Trinity Baroque, Musica Antiqua Cologne and the Houston Bach Society and appeared as a soloist at the International Trumpet Guild Conference. Several of her arrangements can be heard on Amanda, her solo album on Summit Records. She has an upcoming baroque trumpet and orchestra album with New Trinity Baroque on Editions Lilac. Amanda is a Sonaré performing artist.
Amanda teaches trumpet, brass techniques, at chamber music at Sam Houston State University. Prior to her appointment, she served as the brass area coordinator and trumpet professor at Georgia State University where she was artistic co-director of the avant garde ensemble Bent Frequency.
Amanda received her doctorate from the University of Texas in Austin where she studied with Ray Sasaki. She holds her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Arizona State University where she studied with and was a teaching assistant to David Hickman. Additional teachers include German trumpet soloist Reinhold Friedrich, Robert Dorer and Douglas Carlsen of the Minnesota Orchestra, and Emory Harvison of the Phoenix Symphony.