Marty Thenell

Marty Thenell is enjoying a rapidly blossoming career in percussion based in San Francisco. Beginning with drumset, his studies began at age fifteen and pivoted toward concert percussion at age twenty. As an orchestral musician, he has been a guest with some of the finest musical establishments such at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony where is a regular substitute, in addition to the symphonies of Hawaii and Kansas City. He has given solo performances in San Francisco, New York City, and Verbier, Switzerland. As a chamber musician, he has been a guest with the Elbtonal Percussion Quartet performing in venues as unique as the Lufthansa Maintenance Hanger at the Hamburg International Airport for an audience of 2,200. He also joins the Eco Ensemble in residence at UC Berkeley pioneering the cutting edge of instrumental music. Marty has had the pleasure early in his career of touring, performing in six countries including appearances at the Munich Gastieg, Berlin Philharmonie and Kozerthaus, and Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. He has been a fellow at the festivals of Verbier, Spoleto USA, and Aspen. Marty has had the honor of sharing the stage with the world’s finest conductors such as Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, and Fabio Luisi, Klaus Mäkelä, and Gianandrea Noseda. As an educator, Marty has taught both privately and as of the 2022 school year, joins the faculties of both Stanford University and UC Berkeley as Lecturer in Percussion and Teacher of Special Programs. Marty began his own music studies on drumset with John Xepoleas. He is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Trey Wyatt and The Juilliard School where he studied with Greg Zuber, Daniel Druckman, and Billy Drummond. He has been privileged after his schooling to be mentored by Jake Nissly and Ed Stephan.