Solo Percussionist, Lisa Pegher has been called “The Future of Percussion” and as quoted by Symphony Magazine, “is blazing a particularly rough, un-trodden trail,” in the world of percussion.

Having grown up on a small rural farm in western Pennsylvania, Lisa began playing the drums at the age of seven and made her debut as a solo percussionist with the Pittsburgh Symphony at Heinz Hall in her early twenties. Since then, she has been described by critics as “a brilliant polished performer” and as “the rising star in the percussion world,” and continues to premiere and commission numerous works for solo percussion.

Pegher has appeared as soloist in numerous venues in various cities such as Chicago, Tokyo, Eindhoven, Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York. She was one of only two Americans chosen to perform at the TROMP International Percussion Competition and Festival in the Netherlands and has been a featured artist at the Percussive Arts Society Convention on numerous occasions.

Prior to the launch of her solo career, Ms. Pegher was winner of the Aspen Prize awarded by the Minnesota Orchestra’s WAMSO competition, and was a recipient of the William J. Spencer Award fund at Northwestern University. She was awarded the Vladimir R. Bakaleninkoff Memorial Fund Scholarship, and was winner of the Woman’s Advisory Board Music competition and winner of the Duquesne Symphony Concerto Competition at the Mary Pappert School of Music. Pegher received the Director’s Prize at the Kingsville International Music Competition in Texas, and first place at the Northwestern University Concerto/Aria Competition in Evanston, IL. She is also a recipient of the international YAMAHA Young Performing Artist Award.

Pegher is constantly looking for new artistic ways to present percussion to a broader audience and is currently working on a multi-media project called: Minimal Art, incorporating digital animation design with improvisation. Numerous performances are set for 2009. She also recently won a grant from “Meet the Composer” which allowed her to commission a new concerto by American Composer, David Stock and recently gave the fifth premiere with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestras included in the consortium are the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic.

A drummer at heart, Pegher can also be heard with various avante-guard rock and jazz bands at home and abroad. Being captivated with the power of lyrics to unite people, she also enjoys songwriting for voice and solo marimba.

Lisa keeps an up to date journal blog on her website: www.lisapegher.com. Visit this site to keep track of her upcoming performances and experiences on and off the road.

Ms Pegher endorses, and is supported by: Evans Drumheads, Marimba One, Innovative Percussion and Matt Nolan Custom Cymbals.