Joshua Gianola

Josh Gianola is a percussionist, advocate, and educator. Currently, he is the principal percussionist of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra and the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra. An active freelancer, Josh regularly plays as an extra percussionist with the Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, and has been a guest principal percussionist for the Mid-Columbia and Newport Symphony Orchestras.

A passionate advocate for systemic equity, Josh helped to launch Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) in January of 2013. A nonprofit committed to developing youth leadership through music, YAMA’s student body grew from 11 to over 120 in the years that followed. In addition to teaching orchestral and traditional repertoire, Josh served as Yakima Symphony Liaison and was the primary contact with the Yakima School District. Through fostering these community connections, Josh and the team at YAMA worked to disrupt barriers to access in the orchestral landscape, and further enriched the lives of hundreds of otherwise underrepresented students in the Yakima Valley.

Josh holds a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Portland State University, and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Central Washington University. He now resides in Ellensburg, Washington with his wife, violinist Vanessa Moss, their black lab Gilly, and their cat, Cat. His principal teachers are Jon Greeney, Joel Bluestone, and Mark Goodenberger