The
European
Timpani
BIOGRAPHIES
BIOGRAPHIES
:
Here
are short biographies of many of the timpanists who contributed to my
research. Where possible I have included links to their own web pages.
Frank
Aarnink :
Currently
timpanist and percussionist with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra in
Reykjavik, Frank Aarnink was a student at the Conservatoriums of Hilversum
and Amsterdam where he studied timpani with Nick Woud. He has performed
with all of the major orchestra’s in the Netherlands, and the Freiburger
Baroque Orchestra and the Gabrieli consort and players.
Fausto
Bombarderi :
Solo
timpanist with the Haydn Symphony Orchestra in Bolzano, Italy. He was
previously a student of Marinus Komst and Nick Woud at the Conservatorium
van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Also he has studied timpani with David
Searcy of La Teatro Alla Scala, Milano.
David
Corkhill :
David
Corkhill succeeded James Blades as timpanist with the English Chamber
Orchestra in 1971 and joined the Philharmonia Orchestra as Principal
Percussionist in 1973. As a member of the ECO David Corkhill worked
closely with Benjamin Britten who wrote parts specially for him in his
Cantata 'Rejoice in the Lamb' and the opera Death in Venice. David
Corkhill is timpanist for the English Baroque Soloists, and works
regularly with the Nash Ensemble. He is a professor at the Guildhall
School of Music and director of the Guildhall Percussion Ensemble and the
Barbican Percussion Ensemble.
Dieter
Dyk :
Born in Vienna, Mr. Dyk studied at the Orchestervorschule in Munich and through his studies performed with all the major Bavarian orchestras. He was initially timpanist with the Nürnberger Sinfoniker and then the Radio-Symphony-Orchestra in Zürich before becoming solo timpanist with the Tonhalle- Orchester in Zürich in 1969. As a soloist he has performed repertoire from baroque concertos for 8 timpani through to modern and contemporary solos, and as a teacher Mr. Dyk was on staff at the Conservatorium in Zürich for 13 years until 1987.
Gerald
Fromme :
Solo
Timpanist with the Radio Symphonie Orkest Wien since 1970 and has appeared
as soloist with this orchestra. Studied percussion and composition at the
Wiener Musikakademie. He taught percussion and ensemble at the Wiener
Musikhochschule from 1982-89 and in 1986 was appointed professor of
percussion at the Universität für Musik Graz.
Jim
Gordon :
Timpanist
with the Holland Symfonia (previously the Noord Hollands Filharmonish)
since 1990. Prior to this he was from 1974 percussionist with this
orchestra. Born in Chicago in the United States Mr. Gordon was first extra
player with the Chicago Symphony for 25 years from the age of 16. During
the years of 1978-1995 he was a member of the percussion dept. at the
Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam.
Peter
Offelder :
Currently
Solo Timpanist of the
Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landessinfonieorchester in Flensburg in the north
of Germany. He has held this position for more than 20 years. Before this
he was a student at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, and a
student of Werner Thärichen, former timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Currently
Solo Timpanist of the Munich Philharmonic (since 1997), Guido is a
graduate of the HdK Berlin. Before taking up his position in Munich he
spent one year at the Karajan orchestra academy of the Berlin Philharmonic
studying timpani with Rainer Seegers. He is since 1999 a teacher with his
orchestra academy and the Schleswig-Holstein musical festival, among other
things.
Louis
Sauvetre :
A
student of Nick Woud and Marinus Komst at the Amsterdam Conservatorium,
Mr. Sauvetre has also taken timpani lessons with R. Jordan and M.A. Petit
(on baroque timpani) and studied percussion with Jacques Delecluse in
Paris. He is currently timpanist with the Orchestra della Svizzera in
Italy, and has also performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio
France, Orchestra da camera di Mantova and L’Orchestre des Champs-Elysees.
Since
1984 timpanist with the Orchestra of the 18th Century, (founded
by Frans Brüggen). A graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatorium, where he
studied timpani with Jan Labordus of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Mr. van
der Valk has also performed with many of the major orchestras in Holland,
including the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Amsterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra, and the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra. He has held timpani
positions with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavik and the
Rotterdam Philharmonic, and regularly freelances in Holland, Belgium,
Germany, Spain and Japan.
Solo
Timpanist with the Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest since 2002, prior to
this he was Solo Timpanist with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
from 1984, and also percussionist with this orchestra for 7 years before
this. Nick studied timpani and percussion at the Amsterdam Conservatorium
with Jan Labordus and Jan Pustjens, both of the Concertgebouw Orkest.. For
the past 11 years he has been a member of the percussion department at the
Amsterdam Conservatorium, and has published 2 timpani tutors, as well as
various compositions for brass and percussion instruments.