Wesley Sumpter is a musician, producer and educator based in Los Angeles, California. As percussionist and timpanist, Wesley has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony in DC, Atlanta Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, UK.
Wesley was a percussion fellow with the LA Phil from 2018 – 2022. During that time, he has shared the stage with some of the biggest stars in music from Gustavo Dudamel and Michael Tilson Thomas to Christina Aguilera and Herbie Hancock. As a recording musician, he can be heard on a number of the LA Phil’s recently released recordings including their 2021 Grammy-Award winning Charles Ives symphony cycle, the BBC Phil’s Pierre Sancan: A Musical Tribute, along with the original motion picture soundtracks for West Side Story (2021) and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Wesley is also an active chamber musician with his trio Lineage Percussion. Lineage has performed and participated in residencies at the Universities of Maryland, Arizona, and Georgia. In 2016, Lineage placed bronze in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and this past June, they were featured at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa.
This is Wesley’s first appearance at the Lakes Area Music Festival. He also looks forward to an exciting remainder of the 2023 calendar year with: a number of engagements with the LA Phil, two nights at the Hollywood Bowl performing with Snoop Dogg, collaborating with Rocket City New Music in Huntsville, Alabama, and at Carnegie Hall with the Gateways Chamber Players in performances of Stravinsky’s, A Soldier’s Tale, and Wynton Marsalis’s, A Fiddler’s Tale, narrated by renown actress, Phylicia Rashad.
Wesley received his Bachelor’s from the University of Georgia under Timothy Adams jr. and received his Master’s at the University of Southern California under James Babor and Joseph Pereira.