Brian Photo WebBio

Brian Fronzaglia, Interim Department Head of Music is also the Professor of Percussion and Director of Athletic Bands at Missouri Southern State University. Brian is currently the Artistic Director for Pro Musica in Joplin, Missouri. Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Penn State where he was also awarded the Performer’s Recognition Award. He holds a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance from Michigan State University and has completed work towards a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance at the UMKC Conservatory of Music.

Performing on many international stages, Brian has been seen throughout the United States and Europe. Most recently, Brian has been seen performing with the Stanković Percussion Ensemble (Belgrade, Serbia), Grumo Festival Orchestra (Binetto, Tesero and Cavalese, Italy), Kansas City Baroque Ensemble, Sunflower Music Festival Orchestra, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Symphony Chamber Orchestra and The American Opera Studio. In addition, he has performed with the Flint Symphony, Lansing Symphony, Altoona Symphony, Nittany Valley Symphony, Northland Symphony, St. Joseph Symphony, Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra, National Wind Ensemble and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings. Brian, a former member of the group Marimba Sol de Chiapas was also a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. A founding member of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams “Battering Rams” drum line, Brian was also the founding Director and Arranger for MLB’s Kansas City Royals “Royal Thunder Drum Line.” Under his direction, the Royal Thunder Drum Line performed for the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, traveled to/performed in Europe and was seen on Fox Sports, ESPN, CBS, TBS and TNT.

Along with being on the faculty for the Yamaha Sounds of Summer Camps, Brian has also served on the faculties at Penn State University, the Grumo Music Festival, Miami Oklahoma School District and the Flint Institute of Music. He is currently an active adjudicator throughout the Midwest and has been a consultant and arranger for several high schools across the nation. He has been on staff with WGI Independent World Finalists, United Percussion and Gateway Indoor and also the DCI World Finalist, The Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Brian currently is a consultant for Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Brian is a Yamaha Performing Artist/clinician and is also a performing artist/clinician for SABIAN Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, Gon Bops Percussion, Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets and Etymōtic Ear Plugs. Brian has given numerous master classes, performances and clinics throughout the United States and Europe. As a performer Brian has been active in commissioning and premiering new works for percussion and has been recorded on numerous labels and his compositions are published through Sfz Music Design, Yamaha Corporation of America and Row-Loff Productions.