Josh Gianola

Percussion

Josh Gianola is a percussionist and educator in Washington State. He is a percussion and theory professor at Central Washington University, and principal percussionist of the Yakima and Walla Walla Symphony Orchestras. An active freelancer, Josh regularly plays as an extra percussionist with the Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, and has been a guest principal percussionist for the Mid-Columbia and Newport Symphony Orchestras.

Josh helped to launch Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) in January of 2013. A nonprofit committed to developing youth leadership through music, YAMA’s student body grew from 11 to over 120 in the years that followed. In addition to teaching orchestral and traditional repertoire, Josh served as Yakima Symphony Liaison and was the primary contact with the Yakima School District. Through fostering these community connections, Josh and the team at YAMA worked to disrupt barriers to access in the orchestral landscape, and further enriched the lives of hundreds of students in the Yakima Valley.

Josh holds a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Portland State University, and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Central Washington University.

He resides in Ellensburg, Washington with his wife, violinist Vanessa Moss, their black lab Gilly, and their cat, Cat. His principal teachers are Jon Greeney, Joel Bluestone, and Mark Goodenberger.