Tim Adams
Timothy Adams, Jr. was named Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Principal Timpanist beginning with the 1995-96 season under the baton of Lorin Maazel. He was born in Covington, Georgia where he received his early musical training. While in high school, he started his professional career playing as an extra percussionist in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he received both his Bachelors Degree in Music and Masters Degree in Percussion. While studying in Cleveland, Mr. Adams played extra keyboard, percussion and timpani with the Cleveland Orchestra. Furthermore, after receiving his Bachelors Degree, Mr. Adams played in a rock band, "Exotic Birds," which recorded two albums and a music video for MTV.
Having spent two summers at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Mr. Adams played under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, Elliot Carter and Leon Fleisher, among others. He has played solo performances with the Atlanta Symphony, the Florida Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has also recorded with the Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Adams played on the soundtrack of Samuel L. Jackson’s movie, "Caveman’s Valentine." The film score was written by composer and Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter, Terence Blanchard. Similarly, Mr. Adams recently appeared on the award-winning children’s television show, "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood." In an episode entitled "Noisy and Quiet," he demonstrated various percussion instruments for children.
Mr. Adams currently serves on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University as Associate Professor and Head of the Percussion Department and teaches at the Brevard Music Center. He has given clinics and master classes in the US, Europe and South America.
By Mark Kanny
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE -REVIEW CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Travelers often buy mementos to bring home, but sometimes the most lasting memories are internal. Such was the case with Timothy K. Adams Jr., the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's principal timpanist. He was deeply affected by visiting the Japanese city of Kyoto during a 2001 Far East Tour led by then-music director Mariss Jansons.
Three years ago, Adams wrote a piece for violin and percussion named for the city. He since has expanded it into a three-movement composition for the same two solo instruments with chamber orchestra.
"Kyoto -- Reflection of the Mind" will receive[d] its world premiere at Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra concerts [Thursday May 15, 2008] and Saturday [ May 16] in Oakland and Upper St. Clair, respectively, with Adams and conductor Andres Cardenes as soloists. The program will be completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for Winds and Astor Piazzolla's "The Four Seasons in Buenos Aires."
Adams says his new piece is "thematic, about the day in Kyoto. The first movement is about the sun rising on the temple," starting with marimba evoking mists. "Andres comes in (on violin for) the sun rising higher in the sky. When the strings come in, it's actual morning, with a chord change (that conveys) the beauty in my mind of the temple I saw there."
The second movement, which Cardenes calls comic, is Adams' impression of nightlife in Kyoto. The composer says it is a reflection from the outside looking in.
The finale evokes the train ride from Kyoto, in which the two soloists get the train moving with a rhythmic pattern.
Cardenes says Adams' piece calls on him to play percussion and violin solos at the same time in the second movement. "It's cool. I've been at Tim's studio practicing with him. My own station (where there's an array of instruments for him to strike) includes temple block, Chinese wind chimes, splash cymbal" and other instruments.
By Mark Kanny
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The depth and versatility of musicians made Thursday evening's Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra concert an exciting event. It will be repeated Saturday night at Upper St. Clair High School.
The world premiere of Timothy K. Adams Jr.'s "'Kyoto' Reflections of the Mind" was the compelling opening piece [of this concert] . Adams is the symphony's principal timpanist who stepped forward as both composer and soloist in this piece.
"'Kyoto' Reflections of the Mind" presents his impressions of the Japanese city and is written for two solos, percussion and violin, and strings. Adams is conscious of having a tourist's perspective, but he was deeply affected and not self-conscious. His music begins in the most direct manner with soft marimba tremolos evoking the pre-dawn. The solo violin joins as the sun begins to rise. The strings join in when the sun has risen and the temple is visible with a simple but shapely and expressive line.
Violinist Andres Cardenes and Adams evoked the world of monks at their chores with separate cadenzas and playing together. Here Adams employed almost pointillist means and repeated patterns, with the distinctive violin part also using fragments of melody and shards of sound.
The second movement, Night Life, was very much outside looking in, with excitement not only controlled but at a distance. Cardenes became a percussionist in this movement, sometimes while playing violin.
Adams wrote a wonderful ostinato to set off "The Train Ride" finale, which gives his thoughts on leaving the city to an expressive viola solo played by Tatjana Mead Chamis