April 1, 2026
Jacob Nissly, Principal Percussion
Jacob Nissly joined the San Francisco Symphony as Principal Percussion in 2013.
What was your first concert with the SF Symphony?
My first concert was the 2013 Opening Gala, which included George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony and Gershwin’s An American in Paris with MTT. A Jazz Symphony is notorious for its crazy xylophone part, so it was off to the races on day one here!
How did you begin playing percussion?
I started in school band growing up near Des Moines, Iowa, and also played in drum corps, which is like a super competitive marching band. I played a lot of drum set in rock bands and jazz, and eventually found myself in the Des Moines Youth Symphony.
Story continues below...
What was your first concert with the SF Symphony?
My first concert was the 2013 Opening Gala, which included George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony and Gershwin’s An American in Paris with MTT. A Jazz Symphony is notorious for its crazy xylophone part, so it was off to the races on day one here!
How did you begin playing percussion?
I started in school band growing up near Des Moines, Iowa, and also played in drum corps, which is like a super competitive marching band. I played a lot of drum set in rock bands and jazz, and eventually found myself in the Des Moines Youth Symphony.
Story continues below...
What were your next steps in becoming a professional musician?
I went to Northwestern University to study jazz, not necessarily classical. Then I went to Juilliard for a master’s degree, and joined the New World Symphony in Miami. In the middle of my second year there, I won the principal percussion job at the Cleveland Orchestra. After two years in Cleveland, I won the principal job here in San Francisco. I’ve been extremely fortunate playing with great orchestras, and this is a dream job in San Francisco.
What kinds of percussion instruments and equipment do you play?
I have my own line of drumsticks made by Vic Firth, which is the biggest drumstick company in the world. I also use Kolberg percussion instruments—they make the finest tambourines and triangles, which I’ve gone to Germany to pick out by hand. And I go to the Zildjian factory in Boston every few years to pick out cymbals—I have an artist relationship with them. We also have some amazing old instruments at the Symphony. There’s a bass drum nobody knows where it came from, but it sounds majestic. And we have cymbals left by previous generations of players. Like string instruments, older is better for some percussion instruments.
Do you have a concert day routine?
I wake up around 4:30am and have the same practice routine I’ve done for the last 20 years, without fail, at least 362 days a year. It’s from a book called Stick Control, and it’s kind of like yoga for drummers—a slow warm up. Then I go for a run and am usually finished with that by 5:45am. Then off to rehearsal and eventually concert time, and I usually teach in between.
Part of the Principal Percussion’s job is to assign all the different instruments to the other players. How does that work?
Percussion isn’t like most sections, where the composer clearly delineates the parts, for example, into trumpet one, two, and three. So I have to make a judgement call about who will play what. As Principal, I’ll probably play the most exposed or solo parts, but I also try to share it around and take requests from my section. I am fortunate enough to have an amazing section where everyone can play every instrument or assignment at a super high level, which makes assigning easy!
What other musical activities do you have?
I have a duo with my fiancée [SF Symphony Principal Harp] Katherine Siochi. Next season we are premiering Rene Orth’s Harp and Percussion Concerto with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony (April 22–24, 2027). I previously premiered my friend Adam Schoenberg’s concerto Losing Earth with the Symphony, and also played it with the New Zealand Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony, and Omaha Symphony. I also run the percussion department at the San Francisco Conservatory and teach at the Aspen School and National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall each summer.
What about non-musical activities?
I am one of two coaches of my son’s Little League Baseball team.
What advice would you give to young percussionists?
Don’t limit yourself to one kind of music. I’ve listened to South Indian classical music, and grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder. Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Bach—it all gives me insight into playing in the orchestra.
I went to Northwestern University to study jazz, not necessarily classical. Then I went to Juilliard for a master’s degree, and joined the New World Symphony in Miami. In the middle of my second year there, I won the principal percussion job at the Cleveland Orchestra. After two years in Cleveland, I won the principal job here in San Francisco. I’ve been extremely fortunate playing with great orchestras, and this is a dream job in San Francisco.
What kinds of percussion instruments and equipment do you play?
I have my own line of drumsticks made by Vic Firth, which is the biggest drumstick company in the world. I also use Kolberg percussion instruments—they make the finest tambourines and triangles, which I’ve gone to Germany to pick out by hand. And I go to the Zildjian factory in Boston every few years to pick out cymbals—I have an artist relationship with them. We also have some amazing old instruments at the Symphony. There’s a bass drum nobody knows where it came from, but it sounds majestic. And we have cymbals left by previous generations of players. Like string instruments, older is better for some percussion instruments.
Do you have a concert day routine?
I wake up around 4:30am and have the same practice routine I’ve done for the last 20 years, without fail, at least 362 days a year. It’s from a book called Stick Control, and it’s kind of like yoga for drummers—a slow warm up. Then I go for a run and am usually finished with that by 5:45am. Then off to rehearsal and eventually concert time, and I usually teach in between.
Part of the Principal Percussion’s job is to assign all the different instruments to the other players. How does that work?
Percussion isn’t like most sections, where the composer clearly delineates the parts, for example, into trumpet one, two, and three. So I have to make a judgement call about who will play what. As Principal, I’ll probably play the most exposed or solo parts, but I also try to share it around and take requests from my section. I am fortunate enough to have an amazing section where everyone can play every instrument or assignment at a super high level, which makes assigning easy!
What other musical activities do you have?
I have a duo with my fiancée [SF Symphony Principal Harp] Katherine Siochi. Next season we are premiering Rene Orth’s Harp and Percussion Concerto with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the SF Symphony (April 22–24, 2027). I previously premiered my friend Adam Schoenberg’s concerto Losing Earth with the Symphony, and also played it with the New Zealand Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony, and Omaha Symphony. I also run the percussion department at the San Francisco Conservatory and teach at the Aspen School and National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall each summer.
What about non-musical activities?
I am one of two coaches of my son’s Little League Baseball team.
What advice would you give to young percussionists?
Don’t limit yourself to one kind of music. I’ve listened to South Indian classical music, and grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder. Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Bach—it all gives me insight into playing in the orchestra.
