Joseph Pereira – JGpercussion

JOSEPH PEREIRA was appointed Principal Timpanist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Esa Pekka Salonen in 2007. Previously he was the Assistant Principal Timpanist/Section Percussionist of the New York Philharmonic from January 1998 to September 2008. He currently runs the percussion department at USC’s Thornton School of Music. Pereira received his master’s degree in percussion from The Juilliard School and a double bachelor’s degree in performance and composition/theory from Boston University.

As a composer Joseph Pereira’s most recent commission, from the Miro Quartet and percussionist Colin Currie, was premiered this season as part of their US tour. His string trio “Blur” was selected as a winner of the 2013 American Composers Forum LA, String Trio Competition. In 2012, the Los Angeles Philharmoniccommissioned and premiered his percussion concerto for soloist Colin Currie. Pereira performed the work again this past season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel in Los Angeles and in London at the Barbican. In 2012, the LA Phil members premiered his new piece for amplified double bass quartet as part of the LA Phil Chamber Series.

The Los Angeles Percussion Quartet recorded his piece Repousse’ on a Sono Luminus release which was nominated for three 2013 Grammy Awards. In the summer of 2010, he conducted the premiere of his new piece for seven percussionists at The Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. In 2007, his first orchestral piece, Mask, was selected by the American Composers Orchestra’s annual new music readings for top emerging composers. At the New York Philharmonic, he conducted the premiere of his Quintet for Winds in 2005 on the Chamber Ensembles series at Merkin Concert Hall. The New York Times said, “it is a restless yet lucidly textured work with an astringent harmonic language.” In 2006 chief music critic Anthony Tommasini featured Pereira’s work as a composer and percussionist in The New York Times Arts section article. All of his music is published by Bachovich Music Publications.

Pereira has also performed with the New York Percussion Quartet, the New York New Music Ensemble, Alea III, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as principal timpanist. He can also be heard on Telarc, Teldec, and Deutsche Grammophon/iTunes recordings and has been part of recording the soundtracks to major motion pictures. He regularly performs on the LA Phil’s Green Umbrellaseries, of which he has performed solo works, and has premiered many pieces. His signature series of timpani mallets are manufactured and sold by JGpercussion.