Ian Dwyer

Ian was a finalist this year for the Grammy Jazz Ensemble.

Born in 1990, Ian Dwyer began playing drums at the age of 1, using his own makeshift drum set (overturned flower pots, pans, a toy tambourine, and chopsticks) .  Seeing that he was so interested in music, his parents bought him a little drum set when he was 2 years old.  He played along mostly to gospel recordings and discovered jazz when he began formal percussion lessons in the 2nd grade.  He rapidly progressed at jazz drumming, tympani, concert snare, and became one of the drummers in his church at age 8.  Ian played with the Young Razzcals for a year when he was 9.  His interest shifted to symphonic percussion and he became principal percussionist with the Virginia Youth Symphony Orchestra at age 11, a position which he still holds today.  He has made two concert tours to Europe, playing for Pope John Paul II in 2002, and for the 2004 pre-Olympic festivities in Athens, Greece.  In July, 2005, noted conductor and composer, Robert Ian Winstin, took Ian to Kiev, Ukraine, to record the “Concerto for Drums and Orchestra” (soloing on the drum set in a symphonic jazz waltz) with the renowned Kiev Philharmonic. 

Jazz was still a part of Ian’s life in middle school and he was the first chair drummer for the Virginia Beach All City Jazz Band in both 2004 and 2005, and received best drummer award at the 2004 District VIII Jazz Festival in Williamsburg, VA.  He began attending the Governor’s School for the