Summer Percussion

Seminar

About the Program

The Juilliard School’s long-running Summer Percussion Seminar is a two-week percussion intensive designed specifically for advanced high school percussionists who have reached age 15 and not yet graduated from high school.

The Seminar offers students hands-on instruction in orchestral, contemporary, and world music styles. Participants experience a challenging range of master classes, clinics, lectures, rehearsals, and performances led by a faculty of today’s most prominent percussion teachers and performers. The Seminar exposes students to the many skills, careers, and passions represented by Juilliard’s faculty and graduates and prepares them for success in college auditions and beyond.

To ensure the Seminar will go exactly as planned for all of its participants, domestic and international, we will hold the 2021 Seminar online. The 2020 Seminar operated online and was a wild success despite its participants not being able to meet together in NYC. Next summer we will build on everything that was great about 2020’s program and offer an online JSPS for 2021.

Students will:

• Watch/participate in masterclasses and clinics given by acclaimed 
faculty members and guests.
• Perform with the JSPS Percussion Ensemble (yes, even online!)
• Participate in“Percussion Intensives,” mini courses that go in-depth 
on specific topics.
• Take a Juilliard Ear Training course.
• Attend full recitals by renowned faculty artists.
• Learn a TON about music and percussion.
• Have fun and make lifelong friends!

Since participants will be attending the Seminar from their homes, we understand that many of you will not have accesses to a wide variety of instruments. Don’t fret! We will customize the experience, including repertoire and playing opportunities, to accommodate the instruments you have.

For questions regarding the program, contact Samuel Solomon at [email protected]
For questions regarding admissions, contact Katya Lawson at [email protected]

Program Dates & Fees

Percussionists who have reached age 15 and have not yet graduated from high school by the start of the seminar are eligible to apply. 

The 2021 Summer Percussion Seminar takes place Sunday, July 11, through Saturday, July 24.

The fee for tuition is $1,180.

Applications, including recorded audition, are due February 1, 2021.

Faculty

The 2021 Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar will be led by artistic director Samuel Solomon.

Artistic Director Samuel Z. Solomon teaches percussion at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Boston University; Mr. Solomon is Percussion Director of The Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) and serves as Artistic Director of the Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar. From 2007-2011 he was president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. His book, “How to Write for Percussion,” has received critical acclaim from composers, performers, and conductors worldwide and is available in three languages. He has also authored three books on percussion playing and curated two collections of percussion etudes and solos. Solomon is a founding member of the Yesaroun’ Duo and the Line C3 percussion group,; from 2005–2010 he was percussionist-in-residence at Harvard University, and from 2003–2015 he was principal timpanist of the Amici New York chamber orchestra. He can be heard as soloist and chamber musician on GM, Albany, Bedroom Community, New Focus, and Tzadik labels, as well as performing the music of Björk on her soundtrack to Matthew Barney’s film “Drawing Restraint 9.” Please visit www.szsolomon.com for more information.

Faculty for the 2021 Seminar

Samuel Z. Solomon, Juilliard Summer Percussion Artistic Director, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Boston University
Nicola Cannizzaro, Vermont Symphony, TURNmusic
Javier Diaz, The Juilliard School, Afro-Cuban specialist
Daniel Druckman, The Juilliard School, New York Philharmonic
Haruka Fujii, Silk Road Ensemble, Utari Duo
Joseph Gramley, Silk Road Ensemble, Indiana University
Jeffrey Irving, NYC Freelancer (Broadway, Metropolitan Opera), Interlochen Arts Camp
Joseph Mohan, The Juilliard School Pre-College, Ear Training
Pablo Rieppi, The Juilliard School Pre-College, NY City Ballet Orchestra
Lori Schiff, The Juilliard School, Alexander Technique Teacher
Mike Truesdell, The Juilliard School Pre-College, Ithaca University
Glen Velez, The Juilliard School, soloist and hand drum specialist
Gregory Zuber, The Juilliard School, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Application & Audition Requirements

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