Born In Denver Colorado, Colin Stranahan has always been surrounded by music. By his teenage years he was actively working on the local Denver scene, and has recorded multiple records on the Capri Record label. After receiving the prestigious National Foundation Advancement of the Arts Presidential Scholar award in 2005, he studied at the University of the Pacific for one year as a Brubeck Institute Fellow. Shortly thereafter, he attended the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Stranahan was one of the winners of the 2012 Thelonious Monk Drum Competition. Now living in Brooklyn, New York, Colin is among the most sought-after drummers in the world working with such artists as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Fred Hersch, Terence Blanchard, Dave Kikoski, Kevin Hays, Marc Copland, George Garzone, Gilad Hekselman, John Raymond, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and many others. He is part of a collective trio featuring some of the most talented and praised musicians in New York City. Together, the Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato trio has recorded and released three successful albums, most recently “Live at The Jazz Standard” on Capri Records.

Colin has had teaching positions at Aarhus Royal Academy of Music, London’s Royal Academy of Music, and at The New School in New York City where he currently teaches private lessons, and ensembles.

Over the years he has also been a part of summer Jazz programs including; The Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony, The Fara Sabina Summer Jazz School and Festival in Fara Sabina, Italy , and as a mentor at the Presidential Scholar in the Arts program at the Kennedy Center (which he was awarded in 2005). Colin also gives drum master classes all over the world at Oberlin College, New England Conservatory, International Jazz Conference in Thailand, the Singapore Esplanade Jazz Festival,University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, and The Juilliard School.