From Lethbridge to Europe: local percussionist lands global tour

By Lethbridge Herald on April 4, 2026.

Layton Hiebert performs on the xylophone at the University of Lethbridge, showcasing the skills that earned him a spot on the World Percussion Group’s upcoming European tour

By Dave Mabel

He’s played percussion with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, and taken part in a bizarre “concert” in Las Vegas. Now University of Lethbridge graduate Layton Hiebert is preparing for a high-profile concert tour of Europe. He’s one of just 17 young percussionists from around the world selected to join a unique ship and shore event in April.

“What got me interested is the cultural exchange with some of the world’s greatest young percussionists in the world,” he says, with concerts in more than a dozen nations across Europe’s leading conservatories.

The World Percussion Group’s 10th anniversary tour, organized by Tim Palmer of Northampton, England, will include travel to Spain, Portugal and France aboard the P&O cruise ship “Ventura.” The iconic cruise ship firm has supported the group for multiple European tours.

The World Percussion Group has represented more than 100 artists from 50 nations over the past 10 years in its competitive, educational and professional development program.

Along with 3,600-plus passengers, the hand-picked ensemble will travel to Cherbourg, France before taking to the highways to perform and teach in cities including Stuttgart, Budapest and Strasbourg. The tour will culminate in Paris with a celebration of workshops, masterclasses and performances.

“We’ll be performing for world class music students and faculty.”

Participants, having already received their musical scores, have been rehearsing them in recent months. He admits “some are brutally difficult.”

But Hiebert, 27, points out he’s not the first Canadian to join the tour. Ten years ago one of his U of L professors, Joe Porter, was invited to join the first World Percussion Group tour, bringing innovative sounds to music-focussed cities across the U.S.

Porter was also the force behind a one-of-a-kind appearance in Las Vegas. As a U of L student, Hiebert was one of three percussionists invited to improvise “music” for a promotion at the local Home Depot – using hardware items as instruments.

The event went so well, he says, the Lethbridge trio was invited to repeat it at the company’s American convention in Las Vegas. For about 3,000 store managers, Hiebert used the lid on a barbecue to simulate the beat of a drum.

“They went crazy,” he recalls.

Back in Lethbridge, Hiebert says it was a memorable but less unusual event that triggered his passion for percussion. He’d played with friends in rock bands during high school years, but entered the New Media program when he began his university career.

But then one day he heard a marimba soloist during a student recital.

“I went right to (academic) advising after I heard that,” and chose to focus on music.

“The U of L has an incredible percussion program,” he says. “Adam Mason really built that program,” he adds. “And Joe Porter has been a constant mentor.”

For Hiebert, other memorable experiences include soloist performances with the U of L Wind Orchestra and Global Drums Percussion Ensemble, tours in Taiwan and Hawaii, and providing percussion at a North American Saxophone Alliance conference.

Here at home, he’s been a soloist with the university’s Global Drums ensemble, led by his former percussion professor Adam Mason.

Now a percussion instructor in the university’s music conservatory at Casa, Hiebert reports there are many young people hoping to follow his footsteps.

“A lot of kids want to learn to play drums,” but soon they find success on marimba and other percussion as well.

Before flying to Britain, he’ll be leading his current students in a no-charge recital at Casa on March 28 at 5 p.m. But first, Hiebert is expressing his gratitude to the many colleagues and friends who helped cover his travel and lodging expenses through GoFundMe.

“I never could have covered them on my own,” he says. “I’m extremely grateful.”

Looking ahead, Hiebert is looking for ways to promote percussion events beyond Lethbridge. He’d be a soloist as well as a teacher.

“I could organize a tour of my own,” he says. “I’d like to take musical percussion to as many places possible.”