Anthony Orlando

A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Anthony Orlando joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1972.  Prior to his appointment, he was principal percussion and/or timpanist with the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, the Lyric Opera Orchestra, and the Greater Trenton Symphony. 

An active recitalist, Mr. Orlando often performs ragtime xylophone and contemporary music for marimba and solo percussion.  He has appeared with the Penn Contemporary Players performing works by such composers as George Rochberg and Richard Wernick, and he currently performs with the Network for New Music.  Composers who have written pieces for Mr. Orlando include Theodore Antoniou, Robert Capanna, Jan Krzywicki, Peter Nocella, Jay Riese, and Andrew Rudin. 

Mr. Orlando played drums in a rock band before studying percussion at the Philadelphia Music Academy with Michael Bookspan, former principal percussion of The Philadelphia Orchestra.  Mr. Orlando was an associate fellow at Tanglewood in 1968 and later continued his studies with Fred Hinger. 

Mr. Orlando was a faculty member of the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts and the New School of Music for a number of years and now teaches privately.  He has given clinics in orchestral percussion at most area universities, as well as at the Oberlin Percussion Institute and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, among others. 

In his free time, Mr. Orlando enjoys skiing and road biking.  He resides with his wife in Gloucester City, New Jersey.  They have four children.

Photo Credit: Chris Lee