Don Liuzzi

A native of Weymouth, Mass., Don Liuzzi joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal timpanist in 1989. He was a percussionist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, taught at Duquesne University, and was assistant conductor of the Three Rivers Young People’s Orchestra. He also performed marimba and percussion solos on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS. He also performs with the DePue Brothers Band, Philork Jazz, and the Philadelphia Orchestra Percussion Group.

In 2006 Mr. Liuzzi was the founding conductor of Curtis’s new music ensemble, Ensemble 20/21. He was the music director of Philadelphia’s All City Orchestra from 2005 to 2015, helping to initiate Curtis’s annual retreat for orchestra participants.

Mr. Liuzzi has given master classes on four continents, including regular coaching for the New World Symphony, National Orchestral Institute, Pacific Music Festival, and Canton International Summer Music Academy in China. He has been an active chamber-music performer with the Network for New Music, recording for the Albany and CRI labels, and has two recordings of solo and chamber music on the Equilibrium label. He has performed as a timpani soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, China Philharmonic, and Sapporo and Guangzhou symphony orchestras. A Yamaha performing artist, Mr. Liuzzi consulted on the design of and performs on the Yamaha 9000 series Dresden-style timpani. He was coordinating producer for the documentary film Music From the Inside Out and has composed songs and arrangements for the DePue Brothers Band and music for percussion ensemble.

Mr. Liuzzi earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and his Master of Music degree from Temple University. He joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1994.