Benjamin Stiers

Biography

Dr. Ben Stiers is Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and Percussion at Illinois State University, where he directs the ISU Pep Band and PULSE Drumline, teaches Applied Percussion, and co-directs the ISU Percussion Ensemble. Additionally, during the 2019-20 school year, he is serving as Interim Director of the Big Red Marching Machine. Prior to his time at ISU, Dr. Stiers served as Instructor of Percussion at Centre College in Danville, KY. He holds degrees in Music Performance from the University of Kentucky, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Illinois State University.

An in-demand percussionist, Ben performs frequently with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Heartland Festival Orchestra, as well as in numerous chamber and solo settings. His performance of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto can be heard on the ISU Wind Symphony’s recording Point Blank, released on Naxos Records. Additionally, from 2015-2018 he served as the managing editor of the PAS Educators’ Companion, a publication of the Percussive Arts Society focused on providing percussion-related information to non-percussionist music educators. Ben is an artist-endorser for Grover Pro Percussion and Innovative Percussion, Inc.