Jacob Nissly, percussionist

Jacob Nissly is the Principal Percussionist of the San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Prior to his appointment in San Francisco, Nissly was the Principal Percussionist of the Cleveland Orchestra for two seasons and the Principal Percussionist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for one season. Previously, he was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach for two seasons. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, Houston Symphony, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He can be heard on recordings with the San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Nissly is an adjunct Professor of Percussion at the Eastman School of Music. He also spent two summers playing with the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland, and two summers with the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. Mr. Nissly has taught classes at The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, Florida State University, Ohio State University, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Verbier Music Camp.

Mr. Nissly holds a bachelor of music and jazz studies degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Burritt, James Ross, Paul Wertico, and Joel Spencer. He received his master of music degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Greg Zuber and Dan Druckman. He began his percussion studies with Woody Smith in Iowa and has also worked extensively with percussionist Michael Werner, Principal Percussionist of the Seattle Symphony.