Alex Chao

ALEX CHAO is from Austin, Texas, and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Alex attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he received a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance and a Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Computer Science. At Northwestern, he was an active performing member and distinguished soloist of the Northwestern Percussion Ensemble, a pit musician for a variety of musical theater productions, and served as Principal Percussion for both the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Alex has instructional experience as a snare/battery technician at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas, and as a battery/front ensemble technician at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois. He spent one summer performing with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps on the Snare Line (2019) and one summer with the Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps on the Cymbal Line (2015). He is also a former member of the Chicago Bulls Stampede Drum Line.

Alex currently performs as a Regular Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a Section Percussionist of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and a gigging member of the Rhythm Messengers and ADH Experience Professional Drum Lines. This is his first year on staff at River City Rhythm and he can’t wait for the season to get started!