Brandon Berlanga (b. 2000) is a Mexican-American percussionist and musical educator currently based out of Rochester, New York. As both a soloist and chamber musician, he has been invited to perform across the United States, including Indiana, Oklahoma, Hawaii, New York, and California. Growing up in central Texas, Brandon found initial inspiration and success in percussion through the marching arts, before his exposure to both contemporary and traditional repertoire during his time at the Butler School of Music. During his time there, he developed a fascination and devotion to new music for both solo percussion and chamber music, refining his skills and knowledge under the mentorship of renowned soloist Dr. Thomas Burritt, and acclaimed percussionist/composer Ivan Trevino.
Since attending the Eastman School of Music, Brandon has worked closely with prolific performer/educator/composer Michael Burritt. Under his direction, Brandon has worked extensively on canon percussion repertoire, mentored undergraduate students of the Eastman Percussion Studio, premier works commissioned for the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, and perform at events such as Rochester’s “Fringe Festival”. Selected as the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion’s (NDCP) first Emerging Artist in 2021, Brandon has had the opportunity to work closely with numerous notable percussionists such as Alana Wiesing Jon Bisesi, Dinesh Joseph, Nancy Zeltsman, and Leonardo Soto, receiving their mentorship and support for over a year. Since then, Brandon has been selected as a Fellow in the inaugural Ted Atkatz Percussion Festival in 2021, performed as part of the University of Texas Percussion Ensemble at the Percussion Arts Society International Convention 2021 – Percussion Ensemble Showcase, invited to compete as a semi-finalist in the collegiate solo division of the Great Plains International Marimba Competition in 202. He was recently invited to perform as Victoria Bach Festival’s 2023 Emerging Artist, perform a solo and duo recital across South Texas. Brandon’s admiration and devotion to new and contemporary projects shines through most in his recent endeavors giving world and US premiers of large ensemble, chamber, and solo works by Gordon Stout, Hila Plitman, Jack Frerer, Quinn Mason, and rising composers such as Sebastian Zhang, John Tadlock, and Gabriel Araújo. Brandon has received his Bachelor of Music in Orchestral Percussion Performance from the University of Texas at Austin – Butler School of Music and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Percussion Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, where he is a current fellow of the Catherine Filene Shouse-Artist Leadership Cohort. |
Solo Recordings
Cartograph | Andy Akiho |
Khan Variations | Alejandro Vinao |
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