John Astaire earned his doctorate in percussion performance at Indiana University. He has performed as a soloist with many contemporary touring music groups, including the Aguava New Music Ensemble, Kylix Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Percussion Plus Project (percussion ensemble), Indiana University New Music Ensemble, and the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Wind Ensemble, with which he toured as a guest, performing Joseph Schwantner's "Concerto for Percussion." He has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Symphony Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Symphony, Felix de los Ingenios Early Music Ensemble, and Keith Brion's internationally acclaimed New Sousa Band. He has appeared on recordings with the Aguava New Music Ensemble, Durande Flute and Percussion Duo (co-founder), and Kylix Contemporary Music Ensemble. In the pop music world has appeared on such releases as the 2009 Independent Music Award-nominated album "Inland Territory" by Zoe/Rounder recording artist Vienna Teng, and the Japan-based avant-garde acoustic/electric ensemble Sound Gate Project's 2009 release (Japan only), headed by composer Mutsuhito Ogino. As an educator, Astaire has been invited to deliver lectures, master classes, and individual coaching sessions at DePauw University, Indiana University, and Cal Poly. As a composer, he has composed music for San Diego State University's production of Seneca's "Octavia," and for the Indiana University Percussion Ensemble. Originally from California, his primary teachers have included Gerald Carlyss and Kenneth Watson, under whom he also studied the Hungarian cimbalom, on which he has performed both domestically, and abroad at the Cimbalom World Association's 2003 World Congress, held in Appenzell, Switzerland.