TMA149 Members

Jacob Valcheff is a Toronto based orchestral percussionist and music educator. He has been seen and heard in venues all across Canada, the United States and Europe – Notably, New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the Konzerthaus Berlin, and Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. Known for his versatility, Jacob is at home in several musical settings, including but not limited to large ensembles, chamber ensembles, studio work, new music and pit bands. Recently, Jacob has appeared as a percussionist with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and as a performer in the Virtual Percussion Music Festival, with which he performed in masterclasses for musicians of the Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras. As a music educator, Jacob is in demand as a clinician for several schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area, and is active as a private percussion instructor. Jacob is also an avid champion of contemporary music, and has participated in the premieres of several works by up and coming Toronto based composers. Notably, he commissioned and gave the world premiere of a new vibraphone and percussion work titled « Stillness » by Canadian composer Samuel Kerr. Jacob is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at the University of Toronto, under the tutelage of Aiyun Huang and Charles Settle. His discipline and work ethic has also slowly crept into his outside life, as he is painstakingly trying to master the art of baking the perfect New York style pizza.