Department of Percussion Instruments

The teaching of percussion instruments at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts began in the academic year 1983/1984, as the first university in Czechoslovakia. The introduction of this course was initially a kind of a cry in the dark, because there was no place to teach, no one to teach to, and nothing to teach to. In neighbouring countries and all over the world, this subject had already been part of the teaching in art colleges for a long time.

From the beginning, the field was placed under the Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments. He took up teaching as an external teacher Antonín Paseka, former timpanist of the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra and a long-time teacher at the Brno Conservatory. Thanks to him there was a place and something to teach. He taught on a provisional basis at the Brno Conservatory and this state of affairs lasted until the Velvet Revolution. The pianist was Heda Vláčilová…a teacher at the conservatory.

In 1990, several changes took place. The first instruments were purchased – 4 Ludwig timpani, a vibraphone, a xylophone and a cello marimba, all made by Musser. Teaching moved to the building of the newly established Faculty of Music of the JAMU on Komenský náměstí. Antonín Pasek is succeeded by Antonín Pasek as external teacher. František Vlk a Pavel Šumpíkboth timpanists of the Brno State Philharmonic. Vlk taught timpani and small drum, Šumpík was in charge of the drum set and melodic instruments. If necessary, they borrowed the necessary instruments “across the street” from the Philharmonic. The piano accompanist at that time was a docent Olga Petrova. In the first half of the 1990s, most of the founding members of the Central European Percussion Ensemble DAMA DAMA studied in the class. The first international contacts were established through guest teachers and soloists.

In 1995, František Vlk resigned as an assistant professor and was replaced by František Vlk as an external research assistant in autumn 1996. Martin Opršál (since 1998 after an audition as an assistant professor), then a member of the Brno State Philharmonic. The competences of teachers are newly divided. Pavel Šumpík continues to teach the drumset and takes over from František Vlk the timpani and orchestral instruments. Martin Opršál teaches melodic instruments and chamber music. She became piano accompanist in 1994. Šárka Králová. In the second half of the 1990s, a period of gradual equipping of the class with quality percussion instruments began. Students from Slovakia, which remained one of the last countries in Europe where percussion playing could not be studied at university, began to study here. The spatial arrangement is temporarily stabilised. The department acquires a practice room on the third floor and the 06 classroom on the ground floor serves as the main room.

Pavel Šumpík became the first associate professor of percussion in the Czech Republic in 1999. After 2000, almost annual purchases of instruments continued. The original four-year master’s degree is gradually replaced by a three-year bachelor’s degree and a two-year follow-up master’s degree, with the possibility of doctoral studies. The first graduate of this highest level of study in the Czech Republic, and thus the holder of a Ph.D. degree, specializing in percussion instruments, was Dalibor Němec in 2007.

In 2003, at the instigation of the then Dean of the Faculty of Music, Prof. Medek, an independent Department of Percussion was established. The first head was assistant professor, later associate professor and since 2016 professor Martin Opršál. The department has a strong population and the number of students in each academic year reaches the number 10, the highest in history. The department continues to own two rooms. With the increasing quality of instrumentation and notation, the lack of teaching and practice space has been a long-standing problem.

In the autumn of 2007, Associate Professor Pavel Šumpík died. Earlier, the department had already cooperated externally with Kamil Slezák, a member of the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc, and Radek Tomášek, member of the Brno Philharmonic. These gentlemen and Dan Dlouhý, head of the Central European Percussion Ensemble DAMA DAMA, auditioned for the position of assistant professors in 2008.

In 2010, the Percussion Festival – an international percussionist biennial was initiated by music management student Kamila Pětrašová, whose main organizer is the department. Starting with the fourth edition (2016), the festival was hosted at the Orlí Theatre.

After several years of efforts, the spatial arrangement was finally resolved in 2013, when the department completely moved to the renovated and newly built premises in the basement of the Faculty of Music. The main pride of the building is the so-called vaulted hall, which, in addition to teaching and practice activities, allows for small-scale concerts.

In 2017, after the audition, he strengthened the teaching staff of the department Martin Kleibl, a graduate of doctoral studies at JAMU. The last changes in the teaching staff took place in 2023. A member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and a collaborator of top European orchestras became a visiting professor for one year. Roland Dénes. Associate professor Šárka Králová replaced him as piano accompanist Dominik Gálwho proved himself already during his doctoral studies.

Currently, the competencies of the department are established as follows:

prof. MgA. Martin Opršál – melodic instruments, ensemble playing;

as. Kamil Slezák – small drum;

as. MgA. Radek Tomášek – timpani, orchestral parts, theoretical subjects;

doc. Mgr. Ing. MgA. Dan Dlouhý, Ph.D. – multipercussion, theoretical subjects;

as. MgA. Martin Kleibl, MA, Ph.D. – jazz drum set, music of South India, Latin-American music, theoretical subjects;

as. MgA. Dominik Gál, Ph.D. – study of repertoire with piano.

Melodic and chromatically tuned instruments

Marimba One 3100, 5 Oct. (C-c4)

Marimba Adams Robert van Sice MAHV50, 5 Oct. (C-c4)

Marimba Musser Symphonic Grand kelon, 4½ oct. (F-c4)

Yamaha YV 3710 vibraphone, 3 oct. (f-f3)

Vibraphone Saito VS-4000, 4 oct. (c-c4)

Yamaha tabletop xylophone YX 230, 3 oct. (c2-c5)

Xylophone Adams Concert quint XC1HV40, 4 oct. (c1-c5)

Pedal chimes Studio 49 RGP, 2¾ oct. (g2-e5)

Chimes case Musser M645, 2½ oct. (f2-c5)

Yamaha CH-500 tubular bells, 1½ oct. (c1-g2)

Pedal pedals Paiste CR0 1002, 2 oct. (c3-c5)

Cowbells tuned Kolberg CB, 1 Oct. (c1-c2)

Thai gongs, 3 Oct. (c-c3)

Steel pans original Trinidad (7 pieces – low tenor, double second, quatro cello)

Metal tools

3 Wuhan dams (ø 60, 75, 85 cm)

7 Chinese opera (glissando) gongs

6 times Asian Sound

7 Wuhan cymbals (ø 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24´)

8 Paiste 2002 cymbals (ø 12´ Splash, 14´ pair Hihat, 14´ Crash, 16´ Crash, 18´ Crash, 20´ Ride, 20´ Novo China)

2 Paiste Alpha cymbals (ø 14´ Crash, 16´ Crash)

6 Zildjian K cymbals (ø 10´ Splash, 14´ pair Hihat, 14´ Crash, 18´ Rock Crash, 22´ Ride)

Zildjian Symphonic Viennese Orchestral Cymbals (pair ø 18´)

Orchestral cymbals Zildjian Classic Orchestral Selection – medium light (pair ø 20´)

7 triangles Kolberg 2110S, 2117EN, 2121CCC

5 Kolberg 1300 cowbells

5 cowbells Dama Percussion

Mambo Cowbell LP229

Cha-cha Cowbell LP ES-2

Agogo Bell LP231A

Kolberg 1308 finger cymbals

Blanosounding instruments

5 timpani Adams Philharmonic Light (Dresden)

4 Ludwig Professional timpani

4 transport timpani Yamaha TP 3100

Adams BDV32 Concert Drum (ø 32´)

Lefima BD238 (ø 28´)

Premier drum kit (v.b., m.b., 3x tomtom, hardware)

Yamaha drum kit (v.b., m.b., 2x tomtom, floortom, hardware)

Small Black Swamp multisonic snare drum (ø 14′)

5 small Premier drums

Small drum Pearl (ø 14′)

6 Kolberg 510-516 tomtoms (ø 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16´)

3 Kolberg 506/508/510 bongs (ø 6, 8, 10´)

2 pairs of Meinl FWB 400NT bongos

3 pairs of Meinl FWB 200NT-M bongos

4 Meinl Floatune congas (ø 10, 11, 12, 13´)

1 pair of Meinl Marathon timbales

3 Asian Sound DKP-NE metal workpieces (ø 8, 10, 12′)

4 Asian Kolberg ASOD drums (ø 8, 9, 10, 12′)

5 boobams Kolberg 1265

5 Remo rototomes (ø 6, 8, 10, 12, 14´)

3 Schlagwerk frame drums

3 ethnic Cooperman hand drums (bodhrán, tar, bendir)

Daf Majid Drums (ø 20′)

Riq Gawharet El Fan

Wooden instruments

4 woodblocks Asian Sound W-B

5 giant woodblocks Kolberg 1470 5XL

5 Kolberg 2050CH templblocks

Hand castanets original (3 pairs)

Concert Castanets Studio 49 RCA4

Whip Studio 49 RP1

2 logdrums Schlagwerk (F pentatonic)

4 wooden tomtoms Kolberg 512-515H (ø 12, 13, 14, 15´)

6 pairs of claves Kolberg 1289, 1283R

Rattlesnakes and others

Kolberg 2030DW concert tambourine (ø 12´)

Black Swamp concert tambourine (ø 10′)

4 Stagg tambourines (ø 6´)

Tambourine Stagg (ø 10´)

Tambourine without membrane Meinl TMT 1B-BK

Tambourine without membrane LP174

Tambourine without membrane LP150

Tamburello AG Percussioni (ø 16′)

Brazilian Wood Pandeiro LP (ø 10′)

3 jamblocks LP (1204, 1205, 1207)

Chimes metal

Glass chimes Kolberg 1385

Kolberg bamboo chimes 1213

Flexaton

The Singing Saw

3 pairs of maracas

Vibra-slap LP 209

Cuica Contemporanea

3 cabashes

Chocallo Kolberg 1862

3 combinable shakers LP441T (-S, -M, -L)

Shekere Kolberg 1122

3 guira Kolberg 1452, 1457, 1459

Merengue Guiro LP305

2 anklungs

Geophon Kolberg 1375

Rakatak Kolbeg 1729

Devil Chase

Bones Kolberg 1261

Binsasara Kolberg 1253T

Sistrum Kolberg 1901

Kolberg Lotus Flute 2271G

Oral siren Kolberg 2297

Electric siren Kolberg 1894

Marimbula Schlagwerk

Kalimba Treble amplified by Paul Tracey

Roland V-Drums electronic drum kit

Xylosynth Wernick, 4 Oct.

Stands

Kolberg Building Kit System

Gibraltar

Roland Auzet (1990)

Klaus Tresselt (1993, 2005)

Nick Petrella (1996, 2010)

Rainer Dörer (1996)

Nebojša Jovan Živković (1999, 2010)

Jeff Beer (2004, 2011, 2015)

Nippy Noya (2005)

Marta Klimasara (2006, 2014)

Peter Sadlo (2006)

Ignazio Berroa (2006)

Stanislaw Skoczynski (2007)

Roman Kozak (2008)

Christian Dierstein (2008)

Zoltán Rácz (2008)

Friedrich Ozmec (2008)

Lenny White (2008)

Dan Weiss (2008)

Stefan Bugala (2009)

Katarzyna Myćka (2009)

László Hudacsek (2009)

Chris Cutler (2009)

Karol Szymanowski (2009)

Bogdan Bacanu (2010)

Daniel Soltis (2010)

Benjamin Toth (2010)

Fredrik Gille (2011)

Glen Velez (2011)

David Friedman (2011)

Hakim Ludin (2011)

Markus Leoson (2012)

Marek Stefula (2014, 2015)

Massimo Pastore (2014)

Rune Martinsen (2015)

Mark Ford (2016, 2018)

Paul Rennick (2016)

Ed Soph (2016)

Ludovica Mosca

Max Riefer (2017)

Uday Deshpande (2018)

Famularo House (2018)

Emmanuel Séjourné (2018)

Arend Weitzel (2019)

Aurélien Gignoux (2021)

Katarzyna Myćka (2021)

Nick Woud (2021)

Bill Lockhart (2023)

Andrei Pushkarev (2023)

Adélaïde Ferrière (2023, 2025)

Nicolas Martynciov (2023)

Anton Mittermayr (2023)

Roland Dénes (Permanent Visiting Professor 2023-2024)

Lukas Ligeti (2025)

It would be hard to trace the beginnings of playing percussion instruments in an ensemble (ensemble, band, group – whatever you want to call it). From the fact that percussion instruments are the oldest musical instruments on Earth, apart from the human voice, it logically follows that long ago, in the depths of history, primitive objects and their “players” could have been grouped into larger ensembles. Whether we take African drummers, Central American marimbists, gamelan, or Basilean drummers, these few examples alone can serve as incomplete evidence of the dense roots of the chamber music phenomenon known as the Percussion Ensemble.

This kind of ensemble became established in a sophisticated and institutionalised form during the 20th century, in the context of the worldwide boom in percussion playing of all areas. The development took place from the first attempts to include a solo percussion passage in an otherwise all-orchestral notated composition (E. Schulhoff: Suite in a New Style – 1921, A. Cherepnin: Symphony No. 1 – 1927, D. Shostakovich: Opera Nose – 1928), through the first independent opuses of the 1930s (A. 5 and 6 – 1930, E. Stochastovich. Varèse: Ionisation – 1931, also H. Cowell and W. Russell) and the early 1940s (C. Chávez: Toccata – 1942, a number of titles by J. Cage, L. Harrison), to the great compositions of the second half of the 20th century (e.g. I. Xenakis, K. Stockhausen, A. Jolivet, M. Kabeláč, W. Rihm, A. Myoshi, S. Reich, M. Kagel, T. Takemitsu).

The year 1962 was a turning point, when the ensemble Les Percussions de Strassbourg was founded. Thanks to it, but also to other professional ensembles that have subsequently emerged (Kroumata, Nexus, Amadinda, etc., in our country DAMA DAMA), numerous literature for the Percussion Ensemble has been created. Unlike the numerically established chamber ensembles – string quartet, wind quintet, piano trio – with precisely fitting repertoire, the literature for Percussion Ensemble is not limited to the number of players. This is especially advantageous in a school setting where student numbers tend to be variable. In 1950, ensemble percussion playing was first accepted in the curriculum of American universities. Since then, it has become customary for each university percussion class to have a student ensemble as its showcase. This is no different at JAMU in Brno.

The JAMU Percussion Ensemble was founded in 1997 and its artistic director is Prof. Martin Opršál. The ensemble works within the ensemble playing lessons at the percussion department of the JAMU Faculty of Music. In addition to its basic mission to educate students to work in detail in a small ensemble, the course also serves to rehearse compositions for concert performances at the faculty and beyond. The ensemble has proven its quality in many individual performances and festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad. It has given Czech premieres of key works of its repertoire, such as Edgard Varèse’s Ionisation (2010!) and Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians (2003).

During its existence, the ensemble has been passed through by now established players (Peter Kosorín – Slovak Philharmonic, Lukáš Krejčí, Radek Tomášek, Petr Hladík – Brno Philharmonic, Martin Kleibl – JAMU Brno, Dalibor Němec – Prague State Opera, Miroslav Greman, Tibor Rusnák – State Philharmonic Košice, Tomáš Rolek, Kristýna Karchová, Gabriel Chila, Martin Švec – National Theatre Brno, Jakub Tengler – Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adam Druga – Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Emil Machain, Zuzana Mečárová – Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra Olomouc, Tereza Nosková, Bohdan Šebestík, Jiří Bučánek, Vladimír Třebický, Ján Fiala – pedagogues of Czech and Slovak conservatories, among others e.g. Štefan Bugala, Jitka Roudnická, Petr Kalousek, Stanislav Pliska, Jan Nepodal, Radim Večeřa). This list confirms the reality that the personnel of the ensemble is not permanent, but constantly changes according to the current state of the student body. Therefore, the repertoire also changes and develops.

A selection of the ensemble’s performances outside the faculty

Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien 1998 (Austria)

Exposition of New Music Brno 2001 (old Vaňkovka)

Young Stage Karlovy Vary 2002 (Art Gallery)

Festival Marathon Prague 2002 (Ponec Theatre)

Festival Concentus Moraviae 2003 (Mikulov)

Sommersprossen Rotweil 2004 (Germany)

Exposition of New Music Brno 2005 (House of Arts)

Percussion Summit Banská Bystrica, Liptovský Mikuláš 2007 (Slovakia)

Exposition of New Music Brno 2010 (Besední dům)

Opening performance of Theatre na Orlí 2012

Project Médeia 2014 (Orlí Theatre)

IMF Janáček Brno 2014 (HF JAMU)

Carl Orff: The Clever Girl (version with two pianos and percussion ensemble) 2017 (Orlí Theatre)

Brno Philharmonic Young Blood Concert Series 2019, 2020, 2022 (Besední dům)

BIP Voix and Percussion Music Academy Gdańsk 2023 (Poland)

European Capital of Culture Veszprém 2023 (Hungary)

IMF Moravian Autumn 2023 (Orlí Theatre)

BIP Composition for Percussion and Electronic Padova 2024 (Italy)

Concert as part of the subscription cycle of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra 2025 (Rudolfinum)

Concert on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II 2025 (Holešov)

Repertoire (three or more players)

Edgard Varèse: Ionisation (Czech premiere)

Mauricio Kagel: Dressur (Czech premiere)

John Cage: Second Construction

John Cage: Credo in Us

John Cage/Lou Harrison: Double Music

John Psathas: Cloud Folk (European premiere)

David R. Gillingham: Stained Glass (Czech premiere)

Nebojša Jovan Živković: Lamento e danza barbara (Czech premiere)

Nebojša Jovan Živković: Trio per uno (Czech premiere)

Nebojša Jovan Živković: Uneven Souls

John Thrower: Aurora borealis (Czech premiere)

Minoru Miki: Marimba Spiritual

Miloslav Kabeláč: Otto invenzioni

Miloslav Kabeláč: Otto ricercari

Dmitri D. Shostakovich: Mezihra from the opera The Nose

Erwin Schulhoff: Step from the Suite in a new style

Miloslav Istvan: Psalmus niger

Jiri Kollert: Domino

Marek Kopelent: Rondo

Milan Slavický: Tre toccate

Karel Husa: Drum Ceremony

Karel Husa: Three Dance Sketches

Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (Czech premiere)

Steve Reich: Music for Pieces of Wood

Steve Reich: Mallet Quartett

Steve Reich: Piano Phase

Steve Reich: Six Marimbas

Werner Heider: Gong – Game (Czech premiere)

Arvo Pärt: Fratres (version for percussion instruments – Czech premiere)

Adriana Hölszky: Karawane

Adriana Hölszky: Wirbelwind

Richard Trythall: Bolero (Czech premiere)

George Chernenko: Kosary

Toru Takemitsu: Rain Tree

Rüdiger Pawasar: Sculpture in Wood

Iannis Xenakis: OKHO (Czech premiere)

Lenka Foltýnová: Side symptoms

Rich O’Meara: Puzzle Piece

Erkki-Sven Tüür: Motus II (Czech premiere)

Niels Marthinsen: Vulcan’s Forge (Czech premiere)

Ivan Trevino: Catching Shadows (Czech premiere)

Paul Rennick: Slopes (Czech premiere)

Andy Akiho: to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem (Czech premiere)

Eckhard Kopetzki: Night of Moon Dances

Ney Rosauro: Concerto No. 1 for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (Czech premiere)

Ney Rosauro: Concerto for Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble (Czech premiere)

John Beck: Concerto for Timpani and Percussion Ensemble (Czech premiere)

Keiko Abe: The Wave for marimba and Percussion Ensemble (Czech premiere)

David Fiedman: Hand Dance (Czech premiere)

Emmanuel Séjourné: Calienta

Emmanuel Séjourné: Acadinda

Emmanuel Séjourné: Suite for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (Czech premiere)

2004 Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Stuttgart – masterclass and concert (Martin Opršál, 4 students)

2007 University of Debrecen – masterclass (Martin Opršál, Martin Kleibl)

2011 Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien – artistic and pedagogical presentation (Martin Opršál)

2011 Festival Crossdrumming Kolbuszowa – masterclass (Martin Opršál)

2013 Fryderyk Chopin University of Music Warsaw – masterclass (Martin Opršál)

2014 Conservatorio di musica Cesare Pollini Padova – masterclass (Martin Opršál)

2017 University of North Texas – masterclass and concert (Martin Opršál, Martin Kleibl)

2017 Conservatorio di musica Cesare Pollini Padova – masterclass and concert (Martin Opršál)

2019 The Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music. Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy Gdańsk – masterclass and concert (Martin Opršál, Martin Kleibl)

2023 Academy of Music of the Jagiellonian University Stanislaw Moniuszko Gdańsk – Blended intensive program (Martin Opršál, 7 students)

2023 Universitatea Nationala de Muzica Bucuresti – masterclass (Martin Opršál, Martin Kleibl)

2024 Conservatorio di musica Cesare Pollini Padova – Blended intensive program (Martin Opršál, 5 students)

2024 Ferenc Liszt Music Academy Budapest – masterclass (Martin Opršál)