2024

PAS Hall of Fame member and longtime Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionist Al Payson died on June 23, 2024. Albert Eugene Pisoni was born January 15, 1934 in Springfield, Illinois. The family changed their name to Payson when Al was in grade school. When Al was five years old, he started taking private drum lessons from the…

Stuart Saunders Smith died on June 3, 2024. He composed more than 300 works, with instrumentation that included percussion and non-percussion instruments, and ensembles of various sizes from small to large. According to Robert McCormick, “The music of Stuart Saunders Smith is unique, eclectic, often esoteric and always full of surprises. Perhaps even more important…

By Rick Mattingly Ed Mann, best known for being a percussionist with Frank Zappa from 1977 to 1988, died on June 1, 2024. Born January 14, 1954 in Great Barrington, Mass., Mann began playing piano at age 3 and acquired a drumset at age 11. During his teenage years he played in a variety of…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Born on February 9, 1927, Jim Sewrey devoted his life to music education for more than six decades. He was an instrumental music educator, teaching general music to 3rd and 4th graders, band and orchestra to middle schoolers, as well as directing high school bands. He was also a former college…