Thad Anderson (b. 1980) is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Central Florida where he coordinates the Percussion Studies program, teaches applied lessons, and directs the UCF Percussion Ensemble. Joining the faculty in 2009, Anderson is also director of the UCF New Music Ensemble, teaches courses in music technology, and oversees the concert audio engineering team. Anderson is a versatile performer and pedagogue with focused interests that involve contemporary music, composition, and technology.
Active as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, some of Anderson’s recording credits include releases on the Cantaloupe, Naxos, Ravello Records, Flying Horse Records, and Innova labels, while performance experience includes the Winter Park Bach Festival, Accidental Music Festival, Alterity Chamber Orchestra, Victoria Bach Festival, Austin Chamber Music Center, Round Top Festival-Institute, Syracuse Society for New Music, Make Music New York, Days of Percussion in Florida, Texas, Idaho, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, the Texas and Florida Music Educators Association convention, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Austin, Waco, and Brevard Symphony Orchestras. Anderson has been a featured soloist with Conspirare, the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, UCF Wind Ensemble, and the Murray State University Wind Ensemble. Anderson frequently presents clinics, lectures, and performances around the United States and as far as Bangkok, Thailand.
Active as a composer, Anderson has many works for percussion, mixed chamber, and multimedia. He composed the soundtrack for the award winning documentary films Standard Deviation and Finding Tyler and his digital work can be heard in full-dome theaters and museums around the world. Anderson self-publishes original works through Plus Two Media. Universal Editions and Peters Edition are also currently publishing some of his projects. Anderson also specializes in the creation and performance of new music through commissioning and collaborating with composers. Some of these projects have produced new works by Paul Lansky, Marc Mellits, Tiffany Connell, Zack Browning, Kris Zaballero, Steven Snowden, John Psathas, Emma O’Halloran, Jonathan Kolm, Juri Seo, Molly Joyce, John Serry, Martin Bresnick, and Halim El-Dabh.
Additionally, Anderson is highly active in the Percussive Arts Society community where he currently serves as Second-Vice President within the PAS Executive Committee, is a member of the Board of Directors, and contributes to the various PAS publications. He is also a frequent evaluator and faculty member at the Music For All National Percussion Festival and Summer Symposium. Dr. Anderson completed his undergraduate work in Music Education at the University of Central Florida and received his Master’s of Music and Doctorate of Music Arts in Percussion Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Thad Anderson plays Yamaha percussion instruments, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, and Remo drumheads.