Dr. Olman Eduardo Piedra
Dr. Olman E. Piedra is an associate professor of Percussion and Drum set at The University of Toledo. He has performed with a variety of ensembles, including the Sphinx Orchestra (principal percussion), the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, the Ensamble de Percusión Costa Rica, the Toledo Symphony Percussion Trio, Italian pop artist Patrizio Buanne, NOMO (toured around the United States, Canada, and Europe), Roland Vazquez' Latin Jazz Combo (Percussive Arts Society International Convention), vocalist Lauren Kinhan (from The New York Voices), Ken Thomson and Slow/fast, David Bixler’s I-75 ensemble, and the University of Toledo organ trio with the National Arab Orchestra Takht ensemble. Olman has also been performing alongside Grammy Award winning artists The New York Voices at their vocal jazz camps at Bowling Green State University, Ithaca College, and Western Michigan University since 2009.
As an active and versatile jazz, contemporary, Latin American, and concert musician, he can be heard on William Bolcom's Grammy award winning album "Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience" with Leonard Slatkin, conductor, on His Name Is Alive's "Detrola”, and “Sweet Earth Flower, a tribute to Marion Brown”, NOMO’s “New Tones”, “The Dreamer” by jazz guitarist/composer Paul Cohn, “Reaching for the Moon” with Morgen Stiegler, “Above the Sound” and "Make it Bloom" by pianist/guitarist Ariel Kasler, “Gran Danzón” with Martha Councell-Vargas, and on Convergence with the Lunar Octet on Summit records.
Dr. Olman E Piedra received his DMA from Bowling Green State University. He also received two Master's in Music degrees, in Percussion Performance and in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, and a BM from Baylor University. Dr. Piedra is an educational artist/clinician for Amedia cymbals, Meinl percussion, Remo drumheads, Black Swamp Percussion, and Innovative Percussion.
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