Duncan Patton

Duncan Patton was principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 33 years. Mr. Patton performed with the MET Orchestra at Lincoln Center, and on tour in Europe, Japan, across the U.S., and in New York’s Carnegie Hall. He has been heard on radio, live HD,  and television broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera, as well as on recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, and Decca. Additionally he has appeared as a guest timpanist with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Lukes.  He has performed or recorded chamber music with the Met Chamber Ensemble, the Percussionists of the Met Opera, the Metropolitan Opera Brass, Canadian Brass, Empire Brass, Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble, Kiril Gerstein and Ingrid Fliter, and the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble. As a clinician and soloist, he has given presentations at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, state PAS chapters, the Northwestern Percussion Symposium, the Oberlin Percussion Institute, and the International Week of Percussion in Mexico City. His articles on timpani performance have been published in Percussive Notes. He is also a composer of works for percussion and mixed ensembles; his works are published by Bachovich Music Publications.

Prior to joining the Met, Mr. Patton was principal timpanist of the Honolulu Symphony, and performed with the Colorado Philharmonic and the Albany Symphony. An Albany, New York, native, he is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and was a student of John Beck, Roland Kohloff, and Richard Albagli.  He has been a member of the Manhattan School of Music faculty since 1989.