Percussionist Kenneth McGrath is a performer and educator based in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times has described his playing as “stellar” and “beautiful” and his career has spanned concert venues around the world and recording studios across Southern California. 

Ken has performed, recorded, and toured extensively with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and San Diego Symphony, in addition to regular appearances with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Pasadena Symphony. He has performed with artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Pierre Boulez, contributed to dozens of world and US premieres, played with several Broadway national touring productions including Wicked, The Lion King, and Phantom of the Opera, and can be heard on numerous recordings including the 2024 release Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl. Ken’s work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group has included concerts at Lincoln Center, the Ojai Music Festival, and the Green Umbrella Series. In 2008, Ken commissioned, performed, and recorded the world premiere of William Kraft’s Encounters XIII: Concertino for Percussion & Woodwind Quintet with Southwest Chamber Music. As an active studio musician, he has recorded over 100 movie soundtracks and worked with composers such as John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Danny Elfman, and Christophe Beck. Recent projects include Superman, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, La La Land, Frozen/Frozen 2, Star Wars Episodes VIII and IX, Beetlejuice/Beetlejuice, and Avatar: The Way of Water.

This breadth of experience, combined with his lifelong passion for teaching, define Ken’s approach to mentoring the next generation of musicians. He currently serves on the percussion faculties of the California State University Fullerton School of Music and the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts. In addition, he has conducted master classes at numerous schools and universities and his students’ accomplishments include admission to Carnegie Hall’s NYO, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Julliard Summer Percussion Seminar, Interlochen Arts Academy, Sō Percussion Summer Institute, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, National Public Radio’s From the Top, Alan Abel Orchestral Percussion Seminar, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, Rice University Shepard School of Music, Yale, Northwestern University, New York University, USC Thornton School of Music, UCLA, and the Colburn Conservatory of Music. Former students have become performers, educators, arts administrators, librarian/copyists, entrepreneurs, and composers who now shape musical communities across the country. 

Ken is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (summa cum laude) and the Eastman School of Music. To learn more about Ken, visit www.mcgrathpercussion.com.