Skinner, Michael

He is a percussionist, teacher and author who studied at university in Northern Ireland.

He began his career as a drummer in jazz bands in the mid 1950s before being given the position of xylophonist and snare drummer with the City of Belfast Symphony Orchestra in 1960.

After 2 years he travelled to London to work as a freelance percussionist and in 1963 became the Principal Percussionist of the Sadlers Wells Opera, where he stayed for 5 years. He left in 1968 to go back into freelancing and could be heard in the West End on productions such as Sweet Charity and Maggie May.

Rejoining orchestras he was the Principal Percussionist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1970 to 1972, followed that with holding the same post with the New Philharmonia Orchestra from 1972 to 1973, and then also in 1973 joining the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, who he is still with over three decades later.

Never giving up on his freelance work though, he has appeared with virtually every London orchestra and ensembles such as the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, co-founded the Guild of Ancient Fifes and Drums, and over the years has given several premiere performances of works by Sir Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten amongst others.

Appearing with a range of artists from Frank Zappa in the movie 200 Motels to Benny Goodman, he has made many recordings including Festive Brass and Eine Kleine Brass Musik with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Bernstein: Chichester Palms and Copland: In the Beginning with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Britten: Peter Grimes with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

As a teacher he is been on the faculty of the Guildhall School of Music, the Royal College of Music in London, is the President of the National Association of Percussion Teachers and has given masterclasses in England, Germany and Croatia.

Writing several books he is the co-author of Play Tuned Percussion and author of Snare drum Grades 6-8, Roll Review, Snare Drum Rudiments and Graded Repertoire. In 1989 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Sources:

Skinner, Michael

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