Sean Peisert

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Life

I have been at the University of California in one way or another since 1994.

In my life outside of computer science, I enjoy a number of other activities, including tennis, sailing, SCUBA diving, skiing, and Peet's coffee.

I am married to the wonderful and magnificent Kathryn Peisert (née Croom).

I am a Marinite.

Music

Until late 2007, I was the Principal Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist for the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra. I performed with the orchestra from 2000 through 2007. I had the pleasure of playing with many oustanding conductors and musicians, including Harvey Sollberger, David Chase, Steven Schick, and Danlee Mitchell.

In my final concert with the orchestra, I had the privilege of performing in the North American premiere of Philip Glass's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, featuring Wendy Sutter as the cello soloist, and being conducted by Steven Schick in his debut concert as Music Director of the orchestra. The television broadcast won an Emmy Award.) I was also on the Board of Directors of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus Association for six years, first as an orchestra representative, and then as vice president. I met my wife playing in the orchestra, who was the Principal Flutist.

A very long time ago, in 1989, I was fortunate enough to perform as a supernumerary in the San Francisco Opera's performances of Idomeneo^† (carrying a "wave") and Lohengrin (as "Duke Gottfried von Brabant"). During hich school, I subsequently was a percussionist in the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra and Oakland Youth Orchestra.

In addition to my lifelong studies of piano, music theory, percussion, and other instruments, I began studying conducting with Maestro Thomas Nee in 2000.

My conducting debut was on June 28, 2001, where I guest conducted the La Jolla Symphony String Ensemble and a group of music students in a La Jolla Symphony outreach program at the Preuss School at UC San Diego. I guest conducted a larger La Jolla Symphony string ensemble in a concert presented at the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Association's annual fundraiser on February 17, 2002. On May 27, 2002, I rehearsed the La Jolla Symphony playing Beethoven's Leonore Overture #3.

In the summer of 2002, I was a conducting participant in the Sixth Summer of the Conductor's Retreat at Medomak where I studied conducting (in barns and sometimes under large trees) and related skills with Kenneth Kiesler.

I also performed in early 2008 in the UC Davis Percussion Ensemble.

† = The trivia about Idomeneo is that the October 17, 1989, performance was cancelled due to the 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake which had occurred at 5:04pm earlier in the day. For those who care more about sports than music, the quake also resulted in the postponement of Game 3 of the World Series, being held at Candlestick Park between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's.

Some Live Views of the World

Thoughts