From contemporary chamber music to the traditions of the pageantry arts, percussion artist and pedagogue Dr. Brandon Arvay has appeared in some of the most visible venues in his profession. Having toured throughout the United States and Asia, he holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (B.M.E.), Colorado State University (M.M.), and the University of Kentucky (D.M.A.). Currently Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at Centre College, he also serves as Percussion Instructor at Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras, Front Ensemble Instructor at the Battalion Drum & Bugle Corps, and Section Percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic. He is also the staff Percussion Arranger for 16Parks Music.
Having an eclectic background, Brandon has taught chamber music, percussion repertoire, percussion pedagogy and literature, and marching percussion at every level. He has conducted and coached a variety of ensembles throughout the South, including the University of Kentucky Percussion Ensemble in their Showcase concert at PASIC 2014. Brandon's teaching honors include a Gold Medal with Palmetto Percussion at the 2010 WGI World Championships and numerous High Percussion awards. He has been a resident instructor at Wayne State University and the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, and regularly presents lectures and workshops throughout the United States. Brandon is a contributing author for The PAS Educators' Companion, Bluegrass Music News, and Dansr.
As a performer, Brandon has appeared at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the American Bandmasters Association Convention, the College Band Directors National Association Convention, the International Saxophone Symposium, and State MEA Conventions. In his travels, he has performed throughout China and was featured on China Central Television. Brandon has collaborated with some of the world's most respected performers (Marvin Hamlisch, Itzhak Perlman, Christine Brewer, Glenn Kotche, SO Percussion, Wycliffe Gordon, Matthew Morrision, Frederic Macerez, Miles Osland, Anders Astrand); conductors (George Daugherty, Gary Green, David Holsinger, Donald Portnoy, Wes Kenney, John Nardolillo, Scott Terrell); composers (Lewis Nielson, Adam Schoenberg, Baljinder Sekhon, Steven Snowden, James David).
He has commissioned works by Baljinder Sekhon, Eric Wubbels, Steven Snowden, Joe W. Moore, and Stephen Gorbos, and has played on a wide-range of audio recording projects, including the Ignite Series (C. Alan Pub. Co.), the Kollective Percussion Ensemble, Maiden (Classical Heritage Foundation), the UK Percussion Ensemble, and the self-titled album by the rock group Von Voigt. Brandon is an endorser for Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
