Latest audition news from the CSU Percussion Department:

Congratulations to Leonardo Soto (private student and honorary department member after 3 years of study) for winning the Charlotte Symphony principal timpani audition!  Congratulations also to Jon Greeney (runner up) and Matt Grubbs (MM CSU 2007) for making semi finals.

Congratulations to Matthew Bassett (MM CSU) for being one of two finalists left standing in the Buffalo Philharmonic principal timpani audition.  Live orchestra round TBA soon.

Congratulations to Jordan Wirth (MM CSU 2009) for advancing to semis finals in the Kansas City Symphony section percussion audition.

Congratulations to Jon Greeney  (MM CSU 2010) one of the few DVD's invited to audition for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra principal timpani audition.  First live rounds at the end of May.

Congratulations to Steve Logan (CSU Freshman) for winning the mock timpani audition last week at the PAS international convention in Austin!

Congratulations to Jordan Wirth (MM CSU 2009) for making semi finals in the San Diego Symphony Principal Percussion audition.

Congratulations to Aaron Williams (MM CSU 2009) for winning the Principal Percussion position with the Mansfield Symphony.

Congratulations to Luke Swearingen (MM CSU 2008) for winning the Section Percussion and Assistant Principal Timpani position with the Wichita Symphony...AND...the Section Percussion position with the Canton Symphony.

Congratulations to Mike Laubach for being runner up in the Chattanooga Symphony Principal Timpani audition.

Congratulations to Jordan Wirth (MM CSU 2009) for being a finalist in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic percussion auditions.

Past CSU percussion students hold positions as music educators, arts administrators, and in major orchestras and ensembles around the world, including: the Buffalo Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and Air Force Band of Flight.

Click here to see the percussion curriculum at CSU. The CSU Percussion Department has a lot to offer serious students of percussion. Explore this site to learn about our program and feel free to contact us with further questions.

Tom Freer, Coordinator of Percussion Studies (Graduate Inquiries)

Matthew Bassett, Assistant Coordinator of Percussion Studies (Undergraduate Inquiries)

Bill Ransom, Jazz Drums

Ji Hye Jung, Percussion

New World Symphony percussion auditions results for current CSU students. Advancing to semi finals were:

Jordan Wirth, Matt Grubbs, David Bergman and Aaron Williams with Jordan Wirth advancing on to finals.

Pittsburgh Symphony percussion auditions results for current and former CSU percussion students.

Advancing to the semi finals were:

Jordan Wirth
Matt Grubbs
Mark Libby (principal percussion Alabama Symphony)
Michael Lamattina (principal percussion Dayton Philharmonic)
John Martinich (percussion U. S. Navy Band)
Chris McLaurin (principal percussion Kansas City Symphony)

Congratulations to all of these guys for making a great showing and especially to Chris McLaurin for advancing on to finals.  

Congratulations to Aaron Macdonald for winning the principal timpani position with the Vancouver Symphony.

Former CSU student Mike Werner (section percussion Metropolitan Opera) is one of two finalists for the principal percussion position with the Seattle Symphony. Mike will return to Seattle in June for a week-long trial with the orchestra

CSU graduate Dave Salay has just won a section percussion position with the Louisiana Philharmonic.

CSU students Matt Grubbs and Mike Laubach were both semi-finalists at the San Diego Symphony Principal Timpani auditions

CSU students Aaron Williams, Matt Grubbs, David Bergman and Zack Frank are four out of five people invited to the second round of auditions for the West Point Military Academy Band. Next round is June 9th

CSU student Matt Grubbs was a finalist in the San Antonio Symphony Principal Percussion/Assistant Principal Timpani audition. Special congratulations to Tom Freer's privat students Ya Chi Cheng (University of Michigan) for winning the audition and Paticio Henandez (Chile) for making semi-finals in his first U.S. audition ever!!

Patrick Schleker has been appointed Principal Timpanist of the Cincinnati Symphony.

Eric Garcia has been appointed Section Percussion with the West Point Military Academy Band.

Aaron MacDonald has been appointed Principal Timpanist with the Vancouver Symphony.

Christopher McLaurin has been appointed Principal Percussionist of the Kansas City Symphony.

Jordon Wirth, percussion graduate student, was named Principal Percussionist of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra.

Upcoming Events

CSU PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
Matthew Bassett, Director
Monday, November 24, 2008
7:30 PM in Waetjen Auditorium
(Free admission)