About Sammy

Dr. Sammy DeAngelis is a contemporary classical percussionist, educator, and arts entrepreneur based in Rochester, New York. His work centers on contemporary chamber music, commissioning new works, and creating meaningful connections between performers, composers, and audiences.

Dr. DeAngelis is Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Roberts Wesleyan University, where he teaches applied percussion, directs the Roberts Wesleyan Percussion Ensemble, and mentors undergraduate musicians. As an educator, he is committed to developing individualized approaches to percussion study while helping students build the musical, professional, and entrepreneurial skills necessary for sustainable careers in music. He maintains a private studio in Rochester and online.

As a performer, Dr. DeAngelis is a founding member of 3D Percussion, a contemporary percussion trio dedicated to commissioning and performing new music. Since its founding in 2023, the ensemble has commissioned numerous composers and premiered works by composers including Michael Burritt, Matt Curlee, Austin Keck, Soomin Kim, Zihan Wu, Ash Graham, and Emma Cardon-Wake. 3D Percussion has performed throughout the United States at universities, concert venues, and contemporary arts spaces, including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Constellation in Chicago, and universities such as Furman University, Ball State University, Radford University, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and SUNY Potsdam. Sammy has also performed in China as a member of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and is a member of the Burritt Percussion Group.

In addition to his chamber music work, Dr. DeAngelis is a section percussionist for the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes and has performed as a substitute percussionist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast.

Sammy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance and Literature and a Master of Music in Percussion Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he also earned a Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Certificate. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Florida State University. His principal teachers include Michael Burritt, John Parks, Mark Hodges, Rich Thompson, Kyle Peters, and Chip Ross.

For more information about 3D Percussion, visit https://www.3d-percussion.com/.