David Kent

David Kent has held the position of Principal Timpani of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 1981 and Orchestra Personnel Manager since 1987. He was born and raised in central Toronto, and he began playing drums after a strong dose of Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and Buddy Rich in his childhood. Upon his discovery of the timpani, he felt drawn to explore the world of percussion, not only of western culture, but of the many non-western cultures in which percussion is a central force. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in performance and ethnomusicology from the University of Toronto. During his studies with Fred Hinger, Russell Hartenberger, John Wyre and South Indian mrdangam virtuoso Trichy Sankaran, David traveled the globe and collected a vast number of instruments from various cultures. He went on to commission and record many new works for solo percussion from composers such as Claude Vivier, Henry Kucharzyk, and John Hawkins. In addition, he has appeared as soloist with the National Youth Orchestra, the World Philharmonic Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Nexus Percussion Ensemble, and he has directed several chamber music series in Toronto such as Array Music. He has also contracted many interesting musical projects such as the Three Tenor concerts conducted by James Levine. Recently he completed an arrangement of Claude Vivier's Cinq Chansons for percussion trio.
In his spare time, David is an OTA-ranked tennis player, an ardent bicyclist and scuba diver, and an avid reader of history and cosmology.

From David Kent

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Timpani Playing in the 21st Century

$32.00
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Timpani may be simultaneously the most demanding, the most exciting, and the most satisfying of the symphonic percussion instruments – when they are played well. If not, they can be exactly the opposite. A great timpanist, probably more than most conductors, can influence the overall sound, rhythm and articulation of an orchestra. This book gives insight into every aspect of timpani performance, and every player should read it.Foreword by Bob Becker

Timpani may be simultaneously the most demanding, the most exciting, and the most satisfying of the symphonic percussion instruments – when they are played well. If not, they can be exactly the opposite. A great timpanist, probably more than most conductors, can influence the overall sound, rhythm and articulation of an orchestra. This book gives insight into every aspect of timpani performance, and every player should read it.Foreword by Bob Becker

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