Brandon Podjasek
Merit School of Music
Overview
Brandon Podjasek is a Broadway/Classical/Pop Musician living in Chicago, Illinois. He’s performed for Broadway in Chicago productions since 2010, having done such shows as: “Wicked”, “Mary Poppins”, “Young Frankenstein”, and “Beautiful”. Brandon is also a regular at the Historic “Paramount Theater” in Aurora IL where he’s performed: “The Little Mermaid”, “Mama Mia’, “Legally Blond” and many others. He’s the Principal Percussionist of The City Lights Orchestra, and a regular at AWR productions. With these groups, Brandon has backed up such artists as: Sting, Eddie Vedder, Billy Idol, Pete Townsend, Adam Levine, Warren Haynes, Andrea Bocelli, Ne-Yo, David Foster, and more. Brandon is also the Principal Timpani/Percussionist for Chicago's Haymarket Opera Company; a full period instrument ensemble, featuring 17th & 18th Century music. He’s performed on such PBS productions as: "A Christmas Carol: The Concert", "The 2015 Horatio Alger Awards", and “I am Ireland”. He's recorded overdubs for 20th Century Fox, “Final Fantasy Distant Worlds, and the “Final Fantasy 7 Remake” orchestral album.
Brandon attended the “Cleveland Institute of Music” earning a Bachelor Of Music in Timpani and Percussion. While at CIM, Brandon studied with Paul Yancich, and Richard Weiner of the Cleveland Orchestra. After graduation, Brandon spent 2 years cleaning up his technique at Cleveland State University with Tom Freer.
Brandon is a busy educator, currently on faculty at the Merit School of Music . He’s coached chamber music at the school to such successes as: 2015 Honorable Mention, 2016 2nd Place, 2018 2nd place - Rembrandt Chamber Music Competition, 2016 1st place Winds/Brass/Percussion division & 2018 2nd place - A.N & Pearl G. Chamber Music Competition. 2018 3rd Place University of Michigan M – Prize Junior Open Division.
In his free time, he is an avid reader, and runner.