People & Places — October 2026
People & Places — October 2026
by PAS Staff
October 5, 2026
FLORIDA DRUM FEST
2026 Florida Drum Fest Brings Florida’s Drum Community Together for Its Inaugural Event.
The inaugural Florida Drum Fest brought drummers, percussion enthusiasts, industry professionals, educators and collectors together on Sunday, September 20, at the Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Eustis, Florida, for a full day celebrating everything drums and percussion.
Designed as an all-ages gathering for the entire drumming community, the first Florida Drum Fest featured an impressive combination of major manufacturers, boutique builders, vintage collectors, educators and specialty brands. The event showcased the diversity of products in today’s percussion industry while giving attendees a firsthand opportunity to see, hear and try the products and talk with people behind them.
The event also featured two educational clinics highlighting different sides of modern drumming. Renowned extreme-metal drummer Derek Roddy brought his experience as a performer and educator to the event, while percussionist and educator Greg Hersey presented his clinic, “Finding Your Artistic Imprint”, focusing on creativity, musical identity and developing an individual approach to performance.
The 2026 Florida Drum Fest allowed attendees the opportunity to meet various artists and industry personalities, explore custom instruments and drum-related accessories, shop new and vintage gear and even participate in the show’s consignment area.
“Florida Drum Fest was created to bring the entire drum community together under one roof,” said event organizer John Spinelli. “From the world’s biggest drum companies to small independent builders, educators, collectors and everyday players, everyone has a place at Florida Drum Fest. The response to the first event has been incredibly encouraging.”
The inaugural Florida Drum Fest has established a new destination for drum enthusiasts creating a platform for manufacturers, independent builders and the wider percussion community to connect directly with players. Florida Drum Fest aims to build on the momentum of its inaugural event and continue growing into an annual gathering for drummers throughout Florida and beyond.
FDF organizers wish to thank all the attendees, volunteers and exhibitors for making the first annual Florida Drum Fest a rousing success. Gretsch Drums, DDrum USA, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Drum Sticks, Modern Drummer Magazine, Paiste Cymbals, The Sessions Panel, Humes & Berg, Lucky Drums Company, Percussive Arts Society, Angel Bartolotta (AB Drum Lessons), RL Drums, Clear Tune Monitors, Hayward Drum Company, TRX Cymbals, Mr. SawBladeHead Designs, RoadKill Custom Drums, Spinelli Drums, Omete Cymbals, Tone Wings, Cymbalic Jewelry, Drum Notation by Beat Note, Larry Matthews Vintage, Homer Made Custom Drums, DrumStatic Drum Heads, Drumtopia, Golden Legends Cymbals, Heavenly Drums, Light and Sound, The Roadkill Podcast, Drum Menace, Groove-Clix Mega Metronome, Keith Munger Drums, Deaf & Drum, Artstruments, Drum Quig Podcast, Michael Welch (Quadra Grip), Gear by Morgan and Centent Cymbals.
For more information:
Florida Drum Fest
www.FloridaDrumFest.net
TROMP INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION COMPETITION
HuiChi Li wins TROMP International Percussion Competition 2026
HuiChi Li has won the TROMP International Percussion Competition 2026. In Sunday’s final at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, she presented a newly created 35-minute recital with ensemble Het Muziek and conductor César Ramos. Her programme included works by Alan Hovhaness and Sarah Hennies, alongside the world premiere of Malika Kishino’s Holz, Fell, Metall.
Originally from Taiwan and now based in Belgium, Li explores new ways to expand musical expression through contemporary percussion. She brought that curiosity to TROMP’s renewed competition format, which gave ten candidates room to present their own artistic voice across three rounds. The three finalists then had three days to prepare a new recital with a creative team and Het Muziek.
“HuiChi is musical in everything she does. She has a very mature stage presence and draws the audience into her world. She also dares to be vulnerable on stage. Taking risks is part of her performance, and that is a rare quality,” said Arnold Marinissen, chair of the TROMP International Percussion Competition jury.
Fellow finalists Manuel Dias (2nd) and Pedro Simões (3rd), both from Portugal, also presented newly created recitals on Sunday. Each finalist performed Kishino’s commissioned work, bringing three performances of the world premiere to the stage.
Florentin Klingelschmitt wins first TROMP Next Gen: Mallet Competition
Florentin Klingelschmitt from France has won the inaugural TROMP Next Gen: Mallet Competition. Fifty young marimba and vibraphone players came to Eindhoven for the new competition. After three days of performances, six finalists presented programmes of their own at CKE Eindhoven on Saturday 26 September.
Nine days of percussion across Eindhoven
From 19 to 27 September, TROMP Percussion welcomed 8,500 visitors to 80 concerts across Eindhoven’s concert halls and creative spaces. Emerging talent and leading percussionists from around the world brought classical repertoire, new music, an open jam and a meditation concert to the city, before the festival closed with Sunday’s competition final.
More than 10,000 people watched the competition livestreams, from France and Portugal to Taiwan and Australia. TROMP’s social media content reached nearly one million people worldwide.
TROMP Percussion returns to Eindhoven 16–24 September 2028.
