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Intro


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Intro


American percussionist Cameron Leach is a soloist and chamber musician recognized for his expressive virtuosity, musical athleticism, and daring interpretations. Leach is the winner of both the Percussive Arts Society International Solo Artist Competition and Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition, and was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. He is a member of the Northern California-based percussion quartet Orphic Percussion, one half of the Leach | Peters Percussion Duo, an Associate Musician with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and an Affiliated Instructor at Denison University.

Leach’s recent highlights include concerto debuts with the Dallas Winds, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Euclid Symphony Orchestra, and McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra; residencies at the Space City New Music Festival, MalletLab Summer Intensive, and Denison University’s TUTTI Festival; world premieres of concertos by Dave Maric and Durwynne Hsieh; guest artist engagements at 30+ universities; and recital appearances in Beijing, Nuremberg, San Francisco, Orlando, Houston, Columbus, and Portland, to name a few.

In Spring 2021, Leach will premiere a new percussion concerto by award-winning composer Adam Roberts, commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for New Music for the New Albany Symphony Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, he will serve as the Marjorie Bruce Holland Artist-in-Residence for ÆPEX Contemporary Performance, culminating in the premiere of a new chamber concerto by Garrett Schumann in collaboration with conductor Kevin Fitzgerald. And later that year, Leach will perform a Daytime Showcase Concert at the 2021 Percussive Arts Society International Convention—the largest annual percussion festival in the world. Leach proudly endorses Black Swamp Percussion, Beetle Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Rustic Percussion, and Malletech.

HIGDON CONCERTO
with the dallas winds

Performed at the Meyerson Symphony Center, later broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today.

"Cameron Leach is a major talent! His performance
of my Percussion Concerto was outstanding...
full of power and grace!"

—Jennifer Higdon, Pulitzer Prize &
Grammy Award-winning composer

LATEST NEWS & PRESS

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Recent Updates: 2020-2021 Season, Commissions, & Project Percussion

Because of the uncertainty that is the pandemic-stricken performing arts world, I have been largely silent about upcoming projects, dates, and bookings, simply because everything is so up in the air. But, now that some things are beginning to come into focus (though not nearly as many as I’d like!), I thought I would share some upcoming engagements and what’s been going on behind the scenes.

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Live at TUTTI - Video Playlist

As I mentioned in my update on March 2nd, I recently served as artist-in-residence at Denison University’s TUTTI Festival, alongside an incredible cast of musicians from all across the country. Little did I know, this would be my final gig before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, so this performance ended up being even more special than I thought.

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Reflecting on Virtual Concerts & The Johnstone Fund for New Music

Towards the end of April, I had the opportunity to put together a virtual concert for the Culture in the Time of Corona Series, presented by the Johnstone Fund for New Music and Streetlight Guild, both local organizations here in Columbus, Ohio. Jack and Zoe Johnstone, the founders of the Johnstone Fund, have been my two biggest supporters of creative projects over the last three years.

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Video Feature: SABIAN Insights

Today marks the release of a new video collaboration with Mark Reynolds, National Sales Director/School Music Division from SABIAN Cymbals. We were able to first sit down for an interview portion, followed by some performances in my basement studio, and finally closing out with some demos and discussion of SABIAN’s special FX cymbals.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Schedule currently unavailable because of cancellations related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Please check back in the future for a revised schedule.

“Cameron Leach represents the best of the next generation’s superstar performers. Captivating, engaging, and virtuosic—Leach is a musical force!”

—Dr. Todd Meehan
Founder of Liquidrum
Director of Percussion Studies, Baylor University

RECENT Blog ENTRIES

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Emerging Artists and Global Pandemics Don't Mix Well

The current landscape of concert bookings is tedious and uncertain, particularly because most arts organizations are in fight-or-flight mode. Money is scarce, crowds are limited, regulations are strict.. and while there might be a yearning from audiences to return to the concert hall, things have fundamentally shifted. As someone whose career had just begun to hit a stride, COVID essentially halted progress. No, I’m not pitying myself, but it’s clear that the first people that presenters will have back on stage are those who are guaranteed to sell tickets and generate revenue. And for now, that still means the old guard—the standard repertoire, established performers, and an overall conservative approach. Those with burgeoning careers, in most cases, are going to have to take a backseat.

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On Commissioning: What, Why, How, & Paying Composers What They're Worth

A few closing thoughts: generating income for commissions like this is hard work, especially when a majority of the money raised does not come from foundations, grants, or private donors. I believe that composers are wildly underpaid and taken advantage of (and of course, performers are too), and while I am not guiltless, I am doing my very best to course correct by raising the highest possible fees.

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On PAS / Attending PASIC: Lazy Criticism and a Lack of Responsibility

Attending PASIC is important for so many reasons, whether it’s learning from clinics, watching inspiring performances, or networking with colleagues. But, because it is the only organization of its kind for percussionists, it is an incredibly easy target for keyboard warriors. To that end, I find there to be a significant number of people criticizing PAS behind the scenes and intentionally boycotting PASIC, because things aren’t lining up with their own (often selfish/stylistically biased) notions of what the organization should be focusing on or doing for its members.

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Thoughts from the Road: Honesty in Self-Promotion

When I first started using social media to document my journey from graduate school to professional soloist, I wrestled with how exactly I would represent myself online. I constantly went back and forth about whether I would show what was really happening, or whether I would doctor it up a bit in order to appear more “professional.” So I experimented with both:

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