Brian Gardiner is known for being a professional and versatile percussionist in Portland, Oregon. He holds a section percussion position with the Portland Opera, is principal percussionist with the Vancouver (Washington) Symphony Orchestra, and plays drum set with the spaghetti western band Federale and rock band Pellet Gun.
Brian’s freelance classical work includes performances with the Oregon Symphony, Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Columbia Symphony, Astoria Music Festival, and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. He has performed under the batons of Carlos Kalmar, Roberto Abbado, David Robertson, Michael Stern, Cliff Colnot, David Effron, Murry Sidlin, Uri Mayer, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and has appeared on stage with Storm Large, Béla Flek and the Flektones, Rufus Wainwright, and Byron Stripling.
As a supporter of new music, Brian has performed with Indiana University’s New Music Ensemble, the Oregon Marimba Quartet, and the Oregon Percussion Ensemble. He also co-founded the APEX Percussion duo with David Constantine and the Portland Percussion Group with Chris Whyte, Aaron Jester, and Brett Paschal.
Brian is a highly sought-after drum set artist in Oregon, performing with many regional and national recording artists including Federale, Tractor Operator, Dan Jones and the Squids, Pellet Gun, and the Sugar Beets. He has recently recorded sessions with Strange Holiday and Matthew Tow of the Lovetones.
As an educator, he currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Music at Marylhurst University, Portland Community College, and Concordia University. Brian has taught percussion camps and master classes at schools in Indiana, Kansas, and Oregon, and is an invited clinician at public schools and universities.
Brian holds a Master of Music degree With Honors in Percussion Performance from the University of Oregon, under the guidance of the late Charles Dowd.
In 2011, Brian earned his Doctor of Music degree in Percussion Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the guidance of Professors John Tafoya, Kevin Bobo, and Steve Houghton. He also studied with retired Indiana University professors Anthony Cirone and Gerald Carlyss.
Brian Gardiner endorses Encore Mallets.
