Cameron Leach

Columbus Symphony, Kent State University

American percussionist Cameron Leach is a bold, high-energy performer recognized for his expressive virtuosity, musical athleticism, and daring interpretations. An engaging and thoughtful soloist, Leach has concertized across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. He has appeared at some of the world’s finest institutions, including the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Sibelius Academy, and the Norwegian Academy of Music. Leach is the winner of both the Percussive Arts Society International Solo Artist Competition and Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition, and was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Along with his active touring schedule, he regularly performs with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and is a newly appointed faculty member at Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. Leach is endorsed by Black Swamp Percussion, Beetle Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Malletech.

Highlights from the 2017-2018 season include the debut of his new electroacoustic solo show ELISION, a European Tour as Co-Principal of the World Percussion Group, the world premiere of Paul Lansky’s Metal Light for the Percussive Arts Society, and a performance of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Additionally, he performed Peter Maxwell Davies’ seminal Eight Songs for a Mad King with Ensemble id, a Rochester, NY-based chamber collective. His latest project, the Leach | Peters Percussion Duo, debuted on the Eastman Summer Concert Series in July 2018.

Leach’s 2018-2019 season is marked by an array of solo appearances, guest artist engagements, and world premieres. Kicking off with a performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, Leach then embarks on recital and clinic tours of California, Florida, and the Midwest, featuring newly commissioned solo works by David Skidmore and Matt Curlee. In March 2019, Leach will give the world premiere of Dave Maric’s Percussion Concerto, commissioned for him by the Capital University Conservatory of Music. To close out the season, Leach will serve on faculty at the MalletLab Summer Intensive in West Palm Beach, FL, and will spend a week in residence as the featured artist for the Space City New Music Festival in Houston, TX. Looking ahead, Leach will make his concerto debut with the Grammy-nominated Dallas Winds during the 2019-2020 season.

Devoted to the creation and performance of new music, Leach continues to commission diverse works for solo percussion, with a special focus on the inclusion of electronics. During his time at the Eastman School of Music, Leach was named an inaugural winner of the Eastman/ArtistShare Partnership, allowing him to commission Matt Curlee’s massive Decay No. 2 for solo percussion and electronics. His latest commissioning project, David Skidmore’s I Leave You the Real World for solo vibraphone and electronics, brought together a consortium of 50+ percussionists from all over the world. Leach has premiered pieces by Michael Burritt, Paul Lansky, Jeff Tyzik, Alejandro Viñao, Annie Gosfield, Tim Feeney, Jon Lin Chua, and Frédéric Chiasson.

Leach makes regular appearances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, having performed with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and on the Competition Winner’s Showcase Concert in 2017, on the Focus Day Series and as a member of the All-Star International Percussion Ensemble in 2015, and with the Rhythm X Indoor Percussion Ensemble in 2011. In addition to his work as a concert artist, Leach also has a strong background in marching percussion, having won world titles with the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps and Rhythm X.

Career Highlights

• WGI 2013 World Champion with the Rhythm X Indoor Percussion Ensemble
• DCI 2014 World Champion with the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps
• Winner of the 2017 Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition
• Winner of the 2017 Black Swamp Percussion Solo Competition
• Co-Principal for the 2017 World Percussion Group’s European Tour
• Winner of the 2017 PAS International Solo Artist Competition
• Adjunct Professor at Kent State University, Fall 2018
• Endorsed by Malletech, Sabian, Black Swamp Percussion, and Beetle Percussion