In a unique career that spans over twenty years, virtuoso Jonathan Haas has single-handedly raised the status of the timpani to that of a solo instrument, becoming the foremost solo timpanist in the world. He has brought timpani to the forefront. In concerts on the finest musical stages and his ground breaking recordings have delighted critics and listeners on both sides of the ocean. From classical concertos, to hot jazz and rock and roll, from symphonic masterpieces to the most experimental compositions of living composers, Mr. Haas has championed, commissioned, unearthed and celebrated music for the timpani, becoming as Ovation Magazine hailed him, "The Paganini of the timpani."
The rarest of modern virtuosi, Jonathan Haas embarked on the career of solo timpanist presenting the only recital of solo timpani ever presented at Carnegie Recital Hall as his 1980 New York debut. He is currently the principal timpanist in the New York Chamber Symphony, the Aspen Chamber Orchestra, and the EOS Ensemble. He is the principal percussionist of the American Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the American Composers Orchestra. He regularly performs with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New York Pops, the New Jersey Symphony and has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, and the St. Louis Symphony. As solo timpanist he has appeared on the Distinguished Artists Recital Series at New York's 92nd Street "Y" and as a guest artist with the Lincoln Center Chamber Society, the Chamber Music at the "Y" Series, the New port Chamber Music Festival, the American Brass Quintet, and the Canadian Brass. He has been heard in recital with pianists Emanuel Ax and Joseph Kalichstein. As orchestral soloist he appeared with the New York Chamber Symphony under Maxim Shostakovich and made his European solo debut with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta under conductor Harold Farberman.
Demonstrating an amazing versatility as a musician, Mr. Haas is also one of the busiest percussionists in New York. He has championed new music by presenting adventuresome programming such as The Music of Frank Zappa, showcasing the music of Edgar Varese and Frank Zappa, under the auspices of Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series. His efforts to expand the percussion and timpani repertoire have led him to commission and premiere works by Stephen Albert, Irwin Bazelon, Marius Constant, Eric Ewazen, Philip Glass, Thomas Hamilton, Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Piche, Kartheinz Stockhausen and Andrew Thomas, among many others. The New York Times wrote of Mr. Haas, "Wherever one finds a percussion instrument waiting to be rubbed, shook, struck or strummed, he is probably nearby, ready to fulfill his duties with consummate expertise... he is a masterful young percussionist.
Not content with a flourishing classical career Jonathan Haas has performed and recorded with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, played on the Grammy Award winning recording of Zappa's Universe, and has recorded with Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Black Sabbath, and explores heavy metal with his rock group Clozshave. With his hot jazz band, Johnny H. and the Prisoners of Swing, he has rediscovered Duke Ellington's brilliant compositions for jazz timpani as well as other jazz standards, playing on a set of ten kettle drums.
A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Jonathan received his Master's Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Saul Goodman. A well loved and inspiring teacher, he has been the director of the Peabody Conservatory Percussion Studio for seventeen years, a faculty artist of the Aspen Music School, and conducts the percussion ensembles at both schools. He has presented master classes throughout the United States and internationally at the Toho Gauken, Hanoi Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, and the Graz Percussion School. Sharing his enthusiasm for music with young people, he has presented over two hundred concert-demonstrations with his Drumfire program, under the auspices of the Lincoln Center Institute, the New York Chamber Symphony's Sidney Wolff Children's Concert Series, and the Aspen Festival Young Person's Concert Series.
As active an entrepreneur as he is an artist, Mr. Haas heads Sunset Records, Kettles and Company, and Gemini Music Productions which contracts musicians for Lincoln Center, New York Pops, and many other organizations and can be visited on the Web at www.geminimusic.com. He also works closely with percussion industry manufacturers Pearl/Adams and Promark among others.
Jonathan Haas is available for interviews. Photos and press release available upon request.
E-mail Lisa Rance
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