Welcome!
Oregano Percussion is a Toronto-based group that performs music from around the world, combining styles from Latin and Caribbean to songwriting, pop, and percussion chamber music. Alejandro Céspedes and Michelle Colton are artists and endorsers of Pearl Percussion & Adams Musical Instruments; Dream Cymbals & Gongs; and Humes & Berg. They both have an active freelance/teaching career. Oregano Percussion performs throughout North America and has presented clinics at schools in the US, Canada and Cuba. They have held residencies at MusicFest Canada, Birch Creek Music Performance Center, and Prairie Music Residency. They will also be the Pax Christi Chorale Artist-in-Residence for the fall of 2025.
Meet the Artists
Dr. Michelle Colton
A versatile percussionist who has performed throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Central America. She frequently performs with the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, TO Live, the National Ballet of Canada, and is a founding member of Oregano Percussion. She has performed with artists such as NEXUS, Keiko Abe, Michael Burritt, and Dame Evelyn Glennie. Dr. Colton commissioned and premiered Kevin Lau’s percussion concerto, The Stars Are Not Aligned with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Her solo album, Unpredictable Nature, features three original compositions as well as works by members of TorQ Percussion. She can also be heard on Arlington by Russell Hartenberger, and two JUNO Award-winning albums, Detach (2020) with Angela Schwarzkopf and Olivier Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie (2025) with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto, and her Bachelor of Music degree with Teacher Certification from the University of Iowa. She has directed steelpan ensembles at the University of Toronto, Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Toronto District School Board, and has been guest faculty at Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Prairie Music Residency, MusicFest, Roy Ernst Music Institute, and the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European tours. Dr. Colton is a Sessional Lecturer in Percussion at the University of Toronto, where she also founded and directs the Percussion Preparatory Department. She currently serves as the Ontario Percussive Arts Society President and is an artist and endorser of Pearl/Adams and Dream Cymbals. michellecolton.com
Alejandro Céspedes, M.Mus
A percussionist and educator who graduated from the University of Toronto and Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana, Cuba. Céspedes is the principal percussionist of the Ontario Pops, Casa Loma and Mississauga Symphony Orchestras and has performed with the National Opera and Ballet Orchestra of Cuba, as well as the Niagara, Kingston, TO Live, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. He has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Jane Bunnett, the Buena Vista Social Club, and was featured at the Toronto Body Percussion Festival. He has performed as Front of House percussionist for the Mirvish Productions' Disney's The Lion King, and is a versatile artist with a background in, acting, and dance, including performances in Jacinto; Uno, Dos y Tres; Venom of Love; and The Power of Harriet T!. As an educator, Céspedes founded and conducted the steelpan ensembles at Music By The Lake (Toronto District School Board Music Camp) and the Regent Park School of Music, which performed with 2Cellos and at events such as the Luminato and Toronto Jazz Festivals. He has also taught percussion at the National Music Camp of Canada, Manuel Saumell and Amadeo Roldán Conservatories in Havana. He has presented on body percussion at Lizt Alfonso Dance Company in Havana and McGill University in Montreal and Cuban Carnaval at Birch Creek Music Performance Centre, Prairie Music Residency, and MusicFest Canada. Céspedes is an artist/endorser of Pearl/Adams Musical Instruments, and Humes & Berg.
Special Celebrations
Oregano Percussion’s unique sound will create a memorable event experience at your upcoming wedding, birthday party, and family reunion. We are a dynamic husband and wife duo that offers the ideal soundscape for any celebration ceremony, reception or dinner!
Gallery
Send us a message
- info@oreganopercussion.com