About this Artist
Taylor Lents is a Boston-based Percussionist, educator, and arts administrator. She recently earned her Masters degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with Will Hudgins (Principal Percussion - Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Dan Bauch (Assistant Principal Timpani & Section Percussion - Boston Symphony Orchestra). In the fall, she will be pursuing a Performance Diploma at Boston University as a student of Tim Genis (Principal Timpani - Boston Symphony Orchestra).
Born and raised in the small town of Blue Ridge, GA, Taylor formally began her musical studies and training after she auditioned for the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music, from which she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music in Percussion and Timpani Performance degree as a student of Timothy K. Adams Jr. (former Principal Timpani - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and Kimberly Toscano (former Principal Timpani - Tucson Symphony Orchestra). During her time at UGA, she performed in numerous large and chamber ensembles and received distinctions for academic and musical excellence, including being named an inaugural recipient of the Bennett Family Scholarship for Orchestral Performance.
As an orchestral musician, Taylor has performed with various orchestras across the northeast, southeast, and midwest, including the Boston Civic Symphony, DuBois Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Augusta Symphony Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and as substitute timpanist of the Ohio Valley Symphony and Gwinnett Ballet Theater Orchestra. During her studies, Taylor has participated in a number of festivals including Aspen Summer Music Festival and School and Eastern Music Festival where she worked with principal players and conductors of major U.S. orchestras, such as the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Chicago, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Seattle Symphonies.
A passionate educator, Taylor has given masterclasses to middle and high school aged students and served as an Ensemble Manager and Coach for the NEC Prep School during her time as a student at NEC. A fervent believer in the transformative power of music education, she is committed to finding ways to bridge gaps for young musicians from under-resourced backgrounds and ensure that musical studies are an equitable pursuit for everyone. In the summer of 2020, she partnered with conductor and former classmate Emily Eng to form Lift Music Fund, a fiscally sponsored non-profit organization dedicated to helping underrepresented student musicians overcome the barriers, financial and otherwise, to pursuing a career in music. Additionally, Taylor recently completed a year-long Arts Administration internship and continues to work with the Boston Music Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to ensuring the long-term social-emotional and musical success of children and youth by nurturing creativity, celebrating cultures, and developing civic engagement through quality music education and performance.
Outside of her musical pursuits, Taylor enjoys working as a barista, reading, exercising, spending time in nature, exploring art museums and coffee shops, and spending time with her two cats, Cedar and Sage.