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Jacob Nissly

(He/Him)
Jacob Nissly lecturing

Contact

Courses Taught

Applied Lessons

Percussion Ensemble

Education

MM, The Juilliard School

BM, Jazz Studies, Northwestern University

Ensembles

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Symphony, Principal, 2013–Present

The Cleveland Orchestra, Principal, 2011–2013

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Principal, 2010–2011

Distinguished Alumni

Sam Rich - Percussionist with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Jonathan Milke - Percussion/Timpani with Pershing's Own US Army Band

Micah Harrow - Timpanist with New World Symphony and New Mexico Symphony

Adam Cooper-Stanbury - Percussion with Australian Air Force Band

Tennison Watts - Principal Percussion with Stockton Symphony and Reno Philharmonic Orchestra

Q&A

What is your hometown?

Grimes, IA

What are you passionate about outside of music?

Running and reading.

Who were your major teachers?

Michael Burritt, Greg Zuber, Michael Werner, James Ross, and Dan Druckman.

What recordings can we hear you on?

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Symphony, Mason Bates - Works for Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 - Live at St. Florian
Mason Bates, Stereo is King
St. Louis Symphony, City Noir

Media:

Biography

Jacob Nissly joined the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Symphony as Principal Percussion in 2013.  Previously, he was principal percussion of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony. He also spent two years as a fellow in the New World Symphony. 
Nissly is chair of the Percussion Department and professor of percussion at the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is also a regular coach at the New World Symphony. He previously taught at the Eastman School of Music and Cleveland Institute of Music.  He has served as a percussion coach for the Aspen Music Festival since 2019, National Youth Orchestra-USA, Verbier Festival, and others. 
Nissly can be heard on recordings with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra. He also played drum set on the St. Louis Symphony's Grammy award-winning recording of John Adams' City Noir.   
In 2019, Nissly premiered Adam Schoenberg’s percussion concerto Losing Earth with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Francisco Symphony. He has performed the piece with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Omaha Symphony and will perform it with the Nuremberg Symphony in 2026. 
Nissly holds a Bachelor of Music and Jazz Studies degree from Northwestern University and Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School. He endorses Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian cymbals, Kolberg percussion, and Remo drumheads. 
For more on Jacob Nissly, visit .