Mike Truesdell — Percussion
Mike Truesdell is a dynamic percussionist whose career combines performance, teaching, collaboration, and community engagement. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at Ithaca College, succeeding his mentor and PAS Hall of Fame inductee Gordon Stout. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of Northern Colorado and has built a reputation as a dedicated educator and advocate for the next generation of musicians.
Truesdell’s path to percussion began unconventionally, first experimenting on a Cracker Jack box before pursuing violin and piano lessons, eventually finding his voice in percussion. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Lawrence University, where he studied with Dane Richeson and broadened his horizons through studies in Amsterdam with Peter Prommel and members of the Concertgebouw. He later worked in Lucerne, Switzerland, with Pierre Boulez and Ensemble Intercontemporain, experiences that cemented his commitment to contemporary music.
Following two years of community-focused work—including the founding of the Savanna Oaks Percussion Ensemble and the formation of the acclaimed Spectrum Trio—Truesdell pursued graduate studies at The Juilliard School, where he studied with Daniel Druckman, Gordon Gottlieb, Markus Rhoten, and Greg Zuber. He completed both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at Juilliard, where he developed close collaborations with world-class performers and composers.
As a performer, Truesdell has appeared at major festivals including the Ojai Music Festival, PASIC, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. He is equally devoted to chamber music, solo performance, and contemporary repertoire, often premiering new works and engaging audiences through innovative programming.
Beyond the concert stage, Truesdell is known for his warmth and humor, as well as his enthusiastic support of the percussion community. He proudly collaborates with Marimba One, Zildjian, and Black Swamp Percussion as a performing artist and endorser.