Brandon Podjasek
Merit School of Music - United States

Overview

Brandon Podjasek is a Broadway/Classical/Pop Musician living in Chicago, Illinois.  He is the Percussion Department Chair at The Merit School of Music.

Active as a theater musician, Brandon's performed for Broadway in Chicago productions since 2010, having done such shows as: Wicked, Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, Beautiful, Little Mermaid, and others.  He's the Principal Percussionist of The City Lights Orchestra, and a regular at Arnie W Roth productions.  With these groups, Brandon has backed up: Sting, Eddie Vedder, Billy Idol, Pete Townsend, Adam Levine, Warren Haynes, Andrea Bocelli, Ne-Yo, David Foster, and other artists.  He is Principal Timpani/Percussion for Chicago's Haymarket Opera Company; a full period instrument ensemble, featuring 17th & 18th Century music.  Also a recording artist, Brandon's performed on PBS productions: "A Christmas Carol: The Concert" and "The 2015 Horatio Alger Awards".  He's recorded background tracks for 20th Century Fox, used on the television show "Empire".  Also performed on the 2017 "Distant Worlds IV: Music from Final Fantasy" soundtrack for AWR Records.

Earning a Bachelor Of Music in Timpani and Percussion, he attended the Cleveland Institute of Music.  At CIM, Brandon studied with Paul Yancich, and Richard Weiner.  After graduation, he did non-degree work at Cleveland State University, studying with Tom Freer.  He is a teacher himself, and currently the Department Chair at The Merit School of Music.  His chamber groups have received much acclaim including: 2015 Honorable Mention, 2016 2nd Place - Rembrandt Chamber Music Competition, 1st Place Winds/Brass/Percussion division - A.N & Pearl G. Chamber Music Competition.

In his free time, he is a prolific reader, and runner.