The Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra was composed during the summer of 2003 and was made possible by a Max Orovitz Award from the University of Miami. The work was originally written for timpani and string orchestra. The concerto was premiered with the version for percussion ensemble at the University of Miami on October 30, 2003 with Shannon Wood as soloist. My main concern when writing the Concerto was to explore the melodic capabilities that are unique to the timpani, rather than have the usual fast drumming patterns that could be applied just as well to tom-toms. This as well as the tuning changes adds difficulty to the concerto which requires a great deal of musicality from the soloist.

The first movement “Bachroque” is a play-on-words describing both its Baroque mood, and is also a homage to Bach who is my favorite composer. The form of this movement is a free fugue and has a slower interlude before the theme’s recapitulation.

The second movement “Aria”, the timpanist must display fine pedaling skills, as the timpani sing lyric melodies. After the main theme is developed, the same thematic material from the interlude of the first movement is extended, while the soloist creates some unusual sounds placing 2 crotales and a cymbal over the timpani head.

The third movement, “Horse Ride”, is a lively ragtime in which the soloist must show off chromatic tuning abilities as well as quick drumming between the 5 timpani. A solo cadenza is presented before the recapitulation and the concerto concludes with an energetic mood.