Brad Davis is the Principal Timpanist of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since the fall of 2019. Additionally, Brad serves as Lecturer of Percussion at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa. Prior to joining the HSO, Brad was Section Percussionist with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and Associate Timpanist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Comfortable in a wide variety of performance settings, Brad has performed with diverse ensembles throughout the country. He has been Guest Principal Timpanist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, and the Terre Haute Symphony, and performed as Principal Timpanist with the Orchestra of the Americas during the 2018 European Tour. In addition, Brad has performed as a percussionist with the Louisville Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, Royal Hawaiian Band, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, Apollo Orchestra, the Smithsonian 21st Century Consort, the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, and the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra. He has been featured as a soloist with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra, performing Michael Daugherty’s Raise the Roof to open the HSO’s 2022-23 Masterworks Season. Brad has worked under the baton of conductors including Osmo Vänskä, Giancarlo Guerrero, JoAnn Falletta, Michael Stern, Thomas Wilkins, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ton Koopman, and Carl St. Clair. He can be heard on multiple recordings through NAXOS and Linn Records.
Before moving to Honolulu, Brad was a Performer Diploma student at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with John Tafoya. Prior to that, he received a Master of Music Degree from the University of Maryland under Jauvon Gilliam. Brad holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Education from the University of Kentucky, where he studied with James B. Campbell. Additional teachers include Jeremy Epp, Dean Borghesani, Eric Shin, William Shaltis, and Scott Dallas. Brad proudly endorses Remo Drumheads.
"I have been using Remo products for years and fully believe in and stand behind them. From my perspective, nobody comes close to Remo in terms of quality and consistency, especially with timpani heads."
