Rajesh Prasad joined the North Carolina Symphony in 2016. A native of Columbus, Ohio, he previously held a percussion fellowship with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, in addition to a percussion position with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has performed with many orchestras in the United States, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony, and the Columbus Symphony.
Prasad earned his bachelor’s degree in music from Northwestern University, and a master’s degree as well as a Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Michael Burritt, Christopher Lamb, Duncan Patton, James Ross, and She-e Wu.
Prasad has spent summers performing in music festival orchestras such as the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland; the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina; and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. He spent five summers performing as the principal percussionist with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. In addition to his position with the North Carolina Symphony, Prasad is also a percussionist in the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.