Monday July 8 and Tuesday July 9 2024

The Open Academy is excited to be able to present the principal percussionist from the Cleveland Orchestra, Marc Damoulakis for a series of percussion workshops.  Students can immerse themselves in 2 days of clinic sessions and masterclasses.  

Marc Damoulakis is a renowned teacher of percussion in demand around the world and this is a unique opportunity to gain invaluable insights on how to improve your playing techniques across a range of percussion instruments.

Workshop details

Classes will be given on snare drum, mallets, ringing percussion (cymbals, tambourine, triangle) and bass drum.  Marc will use participating students to demonstrate techniques and provide each student with direct feedback on their playing.  Day 1 will look at the fundamentals of technique while Day 2 will explore accessories in more depth.  Playing students will work with Marc Damoulakis in an informal masterclass style drawing on repertoire from both orchestral and solo repertoire. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the world's most experienced percussion teachers.

The number of places available for participating in the workshops is strictly limited so book early to secure your place at these exciting workshops.  

As the numbers able to play in the workshops is limited, students can also attend the workshops as an observer.

Observing students still attend all sessions and gain invaluable knowledge about a variety of playing techniques but are not able to play in the workshops.  Observers can choose to attend either 1 or both days.  

These workshops are ideal for year 11 and 12 students to support their performance preparations as well as undergraduate students, recent graduates plus percussion professionals and teachers looking to build their techniques and knowledge from one of the best percussion teachers of today.

Workshop Cost

The cost for the 2 days of workshops is $300 incl. gst.  A 12% Earlybird booking discount applies until April 30.  Students wishing to play in the workshops are required to attend on both days.

The cost to attend the workshops as an observer is $175 for the days or $100 for a single day.

Private Lessons

There are also a strictly limited number of places for a 55-minute private lesson with Marc Damoulakis on Wednesday July 10.  Lesson slots are available all workshop attendees and the cost of a lesson is $150 including gst. 

To apply for a lesson please request a lesson time when asked as part of the payment process for the Workshops

Marc Damoulakis

Cleveland Orchestra Principal Percussionist Marc Damoulakis (Margaret Allen Ireland Chair) has been a member of the Orchestra since August 2006.  Marc is currently co-chair of the percussion department at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  In his pursuit of developing the dynamic whole musician, he performs as a soloist, chamber musician and is a committed educator and clinician at institutions and festivals worldwide.   

Throughout his career, he has performed and recorded as a guest artist with the orchestras of the New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.  He is an active chamber musician playing regularly with the Strings Music Festival, Chamberfest Cleveland, and the Sun Valley Music Festival “In Focus” Series, where he is also the principal percussionist.  He has performed with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Gilmore Festival, the New Music Consort and the Pulse Percussion Ensemble.  In addition, Mr. Damoulakis is a founding member of the Time Table Percussion Quartet.  In 2015,  he performed and recorded with the National Brass Ensemble at Skywalker Ranch and Orchestra Hall in Chicago.

In addition to teaching at CIM, Mr. Damoulakis was on the faculty at DePaul University for 7 years. He has led masterclasses and clinics throughout North America, Europe and Asia.  He is committed to a bi-annual week-long teaching residency at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is a regular clinician and teacher at the North Western Percussion Symposium, the New World Symphony, and the National Youth Orchestra.  Additionally, Marc is the Director of the annual Modern Snare Drum Competition.  He has students holding positions in major symphony orchestras throughout the world.

Prior to coming to Cleveland, Mr. Damoulakis resided in New York for 3 years where he performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel (2003-2006), served as principal timpanist of the Long Island Philharmonic (1998-2006) and held the position of Assistant Principal Percussionist of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (2003-2006).  He performed as an active freelancer in New York playing on Broadway in Phantom Of The Opera.

As a collaborative three-year project, he developed the K symphonic line of cymbals with the Zildjian Cymbal Company, instruments that are an important part of his sound collection with The Cleveland orchestra.  

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Damoulakis was exposed to music at a young age by his parents who were both educators and

musicians, in piano and tuba respectively.   He spent four summers at Tanglewood, in addition attending the festivals of Spoleto, and the Pacific Music Festival.  Marc Damoulakis holds an undergraduate BA degree in percussion performance from the Manhattan School of Music, studying under Chris Lamb (The New York Philharmonic), Duncan Patton (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and the late James Preiss (The Steve Reich ensemble.)   He continued his studies in the New World Symphony, under MTT, for four years (1999-2003.)  Marc and his wife Samantha currently reside in Cleveland Heights with their son, George, daughter Helen and dog Chloe.