3D Percussion’s mission is to connect with audiences by curating creative musical experiences that we believe in.

Story

3D Percussion came into existence at the Eastman School of Music over many coffee discussions and late night Zoom meetings. We have a common vision of learning from our audiences, collaborators, and each other and enriching lives with our resulting music.

Founded in 2022 by YoungKyoung Lee, Emma Gierszal, and Sammy DeAngelis, 3D Percussion has been traveling the country sharing carefully designed programs with the existing percussion community and our ever-growing audience. The trio has been honored to welcome Andrew Bockman to the group in 2025. The trio shares a common vision of learning from our audiences, collaborators, and each other and enriching lives with our resulting music. The mission of 3D Percussion is to connect with our ever-growing community by commissioning new works, curating creative concerts, and contributing resources to the percussion community.

3D Percussion develops creative artistic experiences with a wide range of composers. The trio has worked with Michael Burritt, Omar Carmenates, Matt Curlee, Austin Keck, Emma Cardon-Wake, Zihan Wu, Soomin Kim, Ash Graham and others to expand the repertoire for percussion trio and explore new educational and performance possibilities. In the summer of 2023, the ensemble crafted a light-show in tandem with works ranging in style from Korean drumming to avant-garde amplified balloon called "REFRACT." REFRACT has made appearances through university residencies at Buffalo State University, Radford University, Fairmont State University and others as well as self-produced concerts at Constellation in Chicago and ARTISANWorks in Rochester, NY. 3D is currently building a 100% newly commissioned program called "Imprints" which is inspired by camera shutter speed and its ability to capture echoes through time.

Ultimately, 3D Percussion aims to explore every aspect of percussion performance and share it with audiences and students. With repertoire ranging from theater percussion to the cutting edge of contemporary percussion chamber music, there are just as likely to be balloons on stage as marimbas. We challenge audiences to leave without hearing both something familiar and something new!

Meet the trio

  • YoungKyoung Lee is a percussionist who specializes in solo and chamber music performance. She has performed in various countries such as Japan, Korea, United States of America, Canada, and Spain as a soloist and chamber musician.

    With the love of chamber music, YoungKyoung has been performing as a member of Korean Traditional Percussion Ensemble, Peabody Percussion Group, Yale Percussion Group, and Eastman Percussion Ensemble. YoungKyoung completed the Bachelor of Music studying with Tom Freer, assistant principal timpanist and percussionist of Cleveland Orchestra, and the world-renowned contemporary musician Robert van Sice at the Peabody Conservatory. While at Peabody, YoungKyoung was the recipient of the Zildjian Scholarship. She continued her studies with Robert van Sice at the Yale School of Music and pursued Masters of Music and Masters of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance as a recipient of the Stephen and Denise Adams, and the Henry and Lucy Moses Scholarships. YoungKyoung is pursuing Doctor of Musical Arts at Eastman School of music with internationally renowned soloist, pedagogue, and composer Michael Burritt.

    YoungKyoung currently teaches at Ball State University, and is an endorser of Vic Firth, Inc., Avedis Zildjian company, Black Swamp Percussion, and Pearl/Adams drums and percussion.

  • Sammy DeAngelis (he, him) is a classical percussionist currently based in Rochester, NY.

    As a performer, Sammy has played in the US and China with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and premiered works by composers such as Michael Burritt, Matt Curlee, Grammy award-winning Billy Childs, and more. Sammy is a founding member of the percussion trio 3D Percussion contributing to a number of new music collaborations and consortiums. Sammy has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Gulf Coast Sinfonia, and numerous collegiate ensembles.

    Currently, Sammy teaches at Eastman Community Music School as a classical percussion instructor for high school aged students and is the primary lesson instructor for non-major percussion lessons at the University of Rochester. Sammy also coaches the Eastman Chamber Percussion Ensemble.

    Sammy holds a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance from Florida State University (2021), a master’s degree in percussion performance and literature from Eastman School of Music (2023) and is currently a candidate for the doctorate of musical arts degree at Eastman School of Music. His primary teachers include Michael Burritt, Dr. John Parks, Mark Hodges, Rich Thompson and Chip Ross.

    Outside of music, Sammy likes to read, play tennis, and watch all sorts of sports.

  • Emma Gierszal (she/her) is the Assistant Professor of Percussion at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. She has finished coursework for her DMA in Percussion Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music and holds an MM degree and an Arts Leadership Certificate also from Eastman. Her BM degree in Music Education is from Furman University. 

    Emma is a versatile musician dedicated to sharing new musical experiences with others. She taught the percussion studio, ran the IPEC 2022-winning percussion ensemble, and instructed World Music at Furman University in spring 2024. While in Rochester NY, she enjoyed teaching percussion at the Hochstein School of Music and served as an adjunct percussion lecturer at Nazareth University. She was frequently on stage with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra while continuing to perform with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble and her trio, 3D Percussion. Some of her notable performances have been Viet Cuong's quartet concerto, Re(new)al, in front of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and premiering Austin Keck’s Evanescence with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble at the IPEA International Percussion Competition in Shanghai. Taking an interest in Rochester’s local music scene, she serves as the President of the Board for the chamber ensemble, fivebyfive, and has published an Eastman Case Study about the ROCmusic Collaborative.

    Emma has participated in competitive orchestral and contemporary music festivals, including the Lucerne Festival Academy in 2023, Grafenegg Academy in 2021 and 2022, the National Repertory Orchestra in 2021 (where she had the privilege of performing in front of the orchestra), and the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival in 2019. In 2018, she was honored to receive the Mary Ann Starring Memorial Award and perform at Sigma Alpha Iota's national convention.

    Emma is a proud Malletech Artist.

  • Dr. Andrew Bockman is an American percussionist, educator, composer, and arranger.

    With a passion for both classic and contemporary repertoire, Andrew has performed with renowned ensembles including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble, Jacksonville Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Eastman Wind Ensemble, Eastman Philharmonia, Tallahassee Symphony, Eastman Percussion Ensemble, and Musica Nova. He currently serves as stand-in timpanist and first-call percussionist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Andreas Delfs, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of JoAnn Falletta. An avid chamber musician and promoter of new music, Andrew has collaborated closely with and performed the world premiere of works by composers such as Sarah Kirkland Snider, Augusta Read Thomas, Alejandro Viñao, Charles Wuorinen, John Psathas, Michael Burritt, Viet Cuong, and Matthew Browne.

    Andrew recently served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Percussion at the University of North Florida, Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, and Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Roberts Wesleyan University. He has appeared as a guest artist and clinician at universities around the country including the University of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, and Ball State University.

    An active composer and arranger, Andrew has had his works performed by musicians of the Eastman School of Music, the World Percussion Group, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, the University of Maryland, the Chautauqua Institution, the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Percussion Ensemble, and other universities and summer festivals around the U.S.

    Andrew holds a Doctorate in Percussion Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the Performer’s Certificate and Arts Leadership Certificate. He completed his Master of Music degree at Eastman and his Bachelor of Music degree at Florida State University, where he graduated Summa cum laude.

    Andrew is a Performing Artist & Educator with Malletech Inc.