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PAUL JAMES BANNERMAN
World Touring Drummer with Cirque Du Soleil
Showband Drummer with Princess Cruises
Studio / Touring Musician (Recorded on 19 CDs)
Toured / Traveled to 157 Countries on 7 Continents
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Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, and educated at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada, I am a multilingual professional drummer and touring musician with extensive global experience in live performance, musical theatre, and large-scale productions. My career is defined by exceptional consistency and scale, notably completing a 16-year world tour with Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai. I performed in all 5,219 shows, playing to over 12 million spectators across 245 cities and 24 countries. Following the conclusion of Varekai, I transitioned into the cruise entertainment industry where I served as the Assistant Music Manager and Houseband Drummer for Princess Cruises. Across 25 contracts onboard 15 ships, I have performed over 2,200 shows. This includes 22 large-scale production shows and backing more than 240 premier guest entertainers, featuring West End and Broadway stars alongside finalists from The Voice, X Factor, America’s Got Talent, American Idol, and Britain’s Got Talent. To date, my career spans 49 musical theatre productions, 19 commercial CD recordings, and travel to 3,600 cities in 157 countries across all seven continents. Currently splitting my time between Halifax (Canada) and Las Vegas (USA), I am passionate about travel, photography, drone videography, and linguistics. Moving forward, my primary objective is to bring my extensive arena-level experience to an international touring recording artist or band.
BIOGRAPHY
Paul Bannerman is an internationally touring drummer, music professional, and multilingual creative whose career spans large-scale productions, musical theatre, television, film, and live performance across all seven continents.
Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, Paul began studying percussion at an early age, training through jazz programs in Europe and the Classical Music Program at Canford School of Music in England. After winning his high school's top music award, he moved to Canada and graduated with Honours from St. Francis Xavier University with a performance-focused Jazz Music Diploma at just 19 years old. He subsequently served as a musician in Canada's National Military Band of the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa, later expanding his studies at Humber College and The Harris Institute for the Arts in Toronto.
During 13 years based in Toronto, Paul built a prolific profile recording on 19 CDs, appearing on television broadcasts like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and playing in venues holding up to 18,000 seats. His versatile stage credits encompass 49 musical theatre productions worldwide, big bands like the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and pipe bands such as the RCMP Pipes & Drums.
In 2001, Paul performed as the featured drum set player in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production Blast! at Disney’s EPCOT Center before joining Cirque du Soleil for their landmark touring show, Varekai. Over an extraordinary 16-year run, he achieved a 100% attendance record across all 5,219 performances, entertaining over 12 million spectators worldwide. Following the show's finale in 2017, Paul transitioned to the high seas as Assistant Music Manager and Houseband Drummer with Princess Cruises, executing over 2,200 shows and backing more than 240 guest headliners, including prominent West End, Broadway, and reality television talent.
A dual-based resident of Halifax, Canada, and Las Vegas, USA since 2005, Paul speaks six languages and has explored 157 countries. His long-term artistic vision remains focused on bringing elite discipline, global experience, and vibrant musical storytelling to major international arena tours.
Paul Bannerman is an internationally touring drummer, music professional, and multilingual creative whose career spans large-scale productions, musical theatre, television, film, and live performance across the globe.
