Alex Stopa

Praised for his “wonderfully creative musical instincts, dazzling technique and high-octane stage presence,” Australian-born Alex Stopa is in high demand as a drummer, percussionist, marimba soloist, and clinician.

A highly versatile artist, Mr. Stopa has performed extensively in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, France, Belgium, Japan, and Hong Kong. He performs regularly as a percussionist and timpanist for the Las Vegas Philharmonic & Nevada Pops Orchestra, as drummer & percussionist for Cirque Du Soleil’s “Zarkana,” as percussionist for Donny and Marie Osmond, and as drummer for Charo. He also toured with rock group "Big Talk" (the solo project of Ronnie Vannucci from "The Killers") with whom he performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Other career highlights include performing with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Idina Menzel, Prince Royce, and Maná. Mr. Stopa has performed in productions of Wicked, The Lion King, Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, Mary Poppins, The Addams Family, Mamma Mia, and The Producers, and as a percussionist for the Latin Grammys, Dallas Brass, Nevada Ballet Theater Orchestra, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

As a passionate advocate of new music Mr. Stopa has performed numerous world premieres including Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic’s Magma (2010) for solo marimba, and Drifting on Winds and Currents (2010) composed by Samuel Adler for the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He premiered Sir Peter Maxwell Davies work A Glass of Frontignac(the day after it was composed!) at the 2000 Barossa Festival with the Elder New Music Ensemble, and two works for marimba by Paul Seitz entitled To Juggle 2 and Within Your Private Sky in 2009, both works being dedicated to Mr. Stopa. 

He has recorded extensively and can be heard on Klavier Records, Tacky Records, Arsis Audio, Young American Records and Recordhead labels. His music can also be heard on the soundtrack to the movies Popovich and the Voice of the Fabled American West, and The Project. His teachers include Keiko Abe, Bogdan Bacanu, Dr. Dean Gronemeier, and James Bailey. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Elder Conservatorium (Australia) and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He currently resides in Las Vegas where he serves as part-time faculty at the College of Southern Nevada. Alex Stopa endorses Sabian Cymbals and Majestic Percussion instruments.

Visit Alex's website at www.alexstopa.com