Jacob Nissly

Jacob Nissly joined The Cleveland Orchestra at the beginning of the 2011-12 season as Principal Percussionist, and holds the Margaret Allen Ireland Endowed Chair. Mr. Nissly became Principal Percussionist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during the 2009-10 season and served in that post through the 2010-11 season. Previously, he was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach for two seasons He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He also spent two summers playing with the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland, and two summers with the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.

Mr. Nissly holds a bachelor of music and jazz studies degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Burritt, James Ross, Paul Wertico, and Joel Spencer. He received his master of music degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Greg Zuber and Dan Druckman. He began his percussion studies with Woody Smith in Iowa and has also worked extensively with Michael Werner, Principal Percussionist of the Seattle Symphony. Mr. Nissly also teaches percussion at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Originally from Iowa, Mr. Nissly is an avid runner and cyclist who enjoys sports.

Photo courtesy of Roger Mastroianni (www.rogermastroianni.com)

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