Originally from Minnesota, Aiden Endres is a percussionist and educator known for his versatility across solo, chamber, orchestral, and contemporary settings. An advocate for new music and collaboration, Aiden frequently performs modern works, often in partnership with fellow instrumentalists and composers.
Currently pursuing his Master of Music in Percussion Performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Aiden’s interests encompass chamber music, percussion ensembles, and orchestral playing. An advocate for collaboration, he has had the opportunity to collaborate with composers such as Donnacha Dennehy, Augusta Reed Thomas, and Tina Davidson in chamber music settings, and is regularly plays new works with colleagues and friends. Aiden is committed to sharing his work with as many audiences as possible through engaging performances.
Aiden serves as Section Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony in Illinois, and is a substitute with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia da Camera. Recent accolades include receiving the Percussion Teaching Assistant position at UIUC and being honored with the Charles and Marleta Matheson Award in the 2024 UNI Emerging Artist Competition.
Beyond academia, Aiden continues to broaden his educational horizons through independent studies and summer festivals. These include studying with Erich Rieppel, the timpanist of The Minnesota Orchestra; attending the Sandbox Percussion Seminar with Andy Akiho; participating in the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival with Jean Carlo Urena Gonzalez; and attending the Nashville Marimba Sessions with Ji Hye Jung, Eriko Daimo, Michael Burritt, and Marta Klimasara.