Brent Roman: percussionist, composer, recording artist, instructor, and dance accompanist.


Over the past several years, Brent could be seen by audiences around the globe, performing as an artist with the world-renowned entertainment company Cirque du Soleil (CDS). Serving as percussionist, drum captain, featured soloist, and character, Brent performed on the touring shows of “Alegria” (Grammy nominated, and best selling CDS album in history) and “Dralion” (Emmy Award winner and top grossing touring CDS show).


He has toured extensively in Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the US. In addition to Cirque Du Soleil, he has toured with symphonic orchestras in France and Germany, participated in the International Drum Festival in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup Tournament in Korea, and placed 2nd in the World Steelband Music Competition in Trinidad & Tobago.


Prior to his career with CDS, this Chicago-based artist worked and collaborated with a multitude of professional companies including Lookingglass Theatre, Silverguy Entertainment, and Redmoon Theater. While at Lookingglass, Brent performed in recording breaking sold-out runs of productions “Sita Ram” and “Hephaestus” – the latter being a circus-theatre show where he collaborated with artists from Cirque du Soleil, BlueMan Group, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Flying Wallendas, and UniverSoul Circus. He is also a founding member of the punk-funk-gypsy-marching band, Mucca Pazza, who has two accredited albums to their name, and a 2009 Chicago Music Award nomination in the “Most Outstanding Band or Group” category. In addition to being a featured band at Lallapalooza, Mucca Pazza made a special guest appearance on NBC’s “Late-night with Conan O’Brien” television show.


As a recording artist, Brent has played on six published albums, and has made recordings for various bands, choirs, and theatre companies in the Chicagoland area. Among the albums, include a special holiday choir album for Kellogg’s, as well as an album for Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project.


In 2000, after receiving a university grant and a grant from the Freeman Asia Foundation, Brent traveled to China to study traditional Chinese music at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing (one of the top ranked music conservatories in the world), focusing on Yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer), and Luogu (Chinese traditional percussion). With this training, Brent spent seven years as resident composer, instructor, arranger, choreographer, and special guest soloist for the Chicago-based Chinese drumming group “Chung Da Gu Zhen”. Brent’s total of twelve compositions written specifically for the group, have been performed throughout the US for the past 10 years.


With over fifteen years of dance accompaniment experience, Brent has worked with numerous professional dance companies including Hubbard Street Dance, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Alvin Ailey, Momenta, and Read My Hips. He has also served on staff at major dance programs including the Dance Center of Colombia College, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Chicago, North Western University, Northern Illinois University, Chicago Academy of the Arts, and the Academy of Movement and Music, as well as at the private studios of Joel Hall, and Lou Conte.


Brent Roman is an endorsed artist with LP – Latin Percussion.