THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES NEW PRINCIPAL TIMPANI, ERIC SCHWEIKERT, IN ITS MILESTONE 2023/2024 SEASON

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Symphony is excited to announce Eric Schweikert as its latest addition and the new Principal Timpani. Joining amid the 2023/2024 season — a landmark year for the Symphony — Schweikert’s arrival coincides with the dual celebrations of Benaroya Hall’s 25th anniversary and the Symphony’s monumental 120th birthday.

Eric Schweikert | Principal Timpani

Eric Schweikert was Principal Timpani of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Director of Percussion Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne before joining the Seattle Symphony. Schweikert became a timpanist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in 1989 and began teaching at Purdue Fort Wayne in January of 2008. His summers are spent at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Schweikert has been on the faculty since 1992. At Eastern, he served as Principal Percussion from 1993–2011 and since 2012, as Principal Timpani under the direction of music director Gerard Schwarz. Schweikert has toured the U.S., Europe and South America with the Chicago Symphony, performed and recorded with the Cincinnati and Detroit symphonies.

Schweikert is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, has a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, attended The Juilliard School as a master’s candidate, and was a Tanglewood Fellow in 1990. He has studied with Paul Yancich and Richard Weiner of the Cleveland Orchestra, Rohland Kohloff of the New York Philharmonic, James Ross of the Chicago Symphony and John Alfieri at the Interlochen Arts Academy.

In his spare time, he enjoys camping, hiking, fly fishing and golf.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

The Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has garnered five Grammy Awards, 27 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts, and through the Seattle Symphony+ streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.

BENAROYA HALL

Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle and surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. Opened in 1998, Benaroya Hall is the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. It has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Benaroya Hall has three versatile performance venues, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, all renowned for their pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit benaroyahall.org.