Vienna Percussion Editions is an independent music publisher focused on percussion repertoire shaped directly by performance practice, with a particular emphasis on detailed transcriptions of recorded jazz performances.
The catalogue combines three central areas: highly nuanced transcriptions, jazz-influenced original works, and arrangements of traditional Viennese repertoire for percussion ensemble.
Editions are conceived from the perspective of an active performer and editor. The aim is to create scores that communicate musical intention clearly while remaining practical and reliable in real rehearsal and performance situations.
Vienna Percussion Editions emerged from a performance-based perspective: the need for percussion scores that function convincingly in practice — not only on paper.
The starting point was detailed transcription work, particularly of performances by Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone. Close examination of timing, articulation, resonance, and phrasing revealed how much essential musical information is often left implicit or ambiguously conveyed in notation.
This experience shaped a broader editorial conviction: notation should communicate musical intention clearly, while still leaving room for interpretation. Several editions therefore include improvisational sections, reflecting musical practices in which structure and freedom naturally coexist.
The aim is not to define a single “correct” interpretation, but to provide performers with a clear, trustworthy framework that supports musical decision-making.
The editorial work of Vienna Percussion Editions is based on clarity, consistency, and performer-oriented notation.
Musical parameters such as articulation, resonance, phrasing, pedaling, and transitions between playing techniques are specified where they are structurally relevant. At the same time, notation remains intentionally open in passages where musical freedom is an essential part of the practice.
Particular attention is given to idiomatic writing for mallet instruments and percussion. Instrument ranges, sticking logic, damping techniques, and pedaling are considered from the player’s perspective and integrated coherently into the score.
Each edition is designed as a dependable working score: visually clear, musically precise, and suited to practical use.
The catalogue of Vienna Percussion Editions is structured around three main areas:
Based on specific recorded performances, these editions aim to capture timing, articulation, phrasing, and sound character with a high level of detail.
Original compositions often combine composed material with clearly structured improvisational sections, reflecting the interaction between notation and performance practice.
Arrangements focus in particular on Viennese repertoire — including waltzes, polkas, and marches — reimagined for percussion ensemble with attention to clarity, balance, and idiomatic writing.
Across all areas, ensemble works are conceived with practical conditions in mind: efficient instrumentation, flexible scoring, and formats that allow performances with limited rehearsal time and adaptable ensemble sizes.
Leonhard Waltersdorfer is an Austrian percussionist, composer, and editor based in Vienna. He is a member of the stage orchestra of the Vienna State Opera and performs regularly with orchestras and ensembles in Austria and abroad.
Alongside his performance career, he is active as a lecturer at universities and international percussion programs. His work as a transcriber, composer, and editor is closely connected to his practical experience as a performer, with a particular focus on vibraphone repertoire and contemporary percussion ensemble music.
Vienna Percussion Editions reflects this connection between performance practice, notation, and editorial responsibility.
