Timothy K. Adams Jr. (born 1969) is the Mildred Goodrum Heyward Professor at the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Prior to joining the faculty, he was the Principal Timpani with the Canton Symphony Orchestra,

Florida Philharmonic Orchestra The Florida Philharmonic Orchestra (or FPO, founded in 1985 as the Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida) was a symphony orchestra based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Sou ...

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is a major American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra was founded in 1930 and is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown ...

, and

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...

Early life and education

Adams was born in Covington, Georgia in 1969. His father was a band director for middle schools and high schools in Georgia. At the age of 13, as the youngest member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Adams chose to pursue a career in music. From the 4th grade through the 12th, he studied with Bill Wilder, the assistant timpani and percussion in the

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the sam ...

. As a senior in high school, Adams started playing as an extra in the Atlanta Symphony and continued playing with them through college. Adams received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the

Cleveland Institute of Music The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. The school was founded in 1920 by a group of supporters led by Martha Bell Sanders and Mary Hutchens Smith, with Ernest Bloch serving as its first dire ...

and spent two summers as a fellow of the

Tanglewood Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglew ...

. While completing his undergraduate degree, Adams won the Principal Timpani Position with the Canton Symphony Orchestra. In the mid-1980s, Adams participated in a band called the

Exotic Birds The Exotic Birds was an American Synthpop music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, in 1982 by three Cleveland Institute of Music percussion students ( Andy Kubiszewski, Tom Freer and Timothy Adams Jr.). The three wrote their own mu ...

. As an alumnus of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Adams was honored with their 2020 Outstanding Alumni Award during their Commencement Weekend.

Career

Adams held the position of Principal Timpani with the Canton Symphony Orchestra for five years before being hired by the

. He played with the orchestra for four years before replacing Thomas N. Akins as the Principal Timpanist of the

. While in Indianapolis, he also held the position of Principal Percussionist of the Eastern Music Festival and held a faculty position at

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, communic ...

. Adams was also the sole black member of the orchestra during his years with them. Adams eventually left Indianapolis in 1995 to become the Principal Timpanist of the

(PSO). In his capacity as Principal Timpanist, Adams appeared on

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001. It was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. Its original incarnation, the se ...

in 1999 to promote classical music. He was also active in the Pittsburgh community, participating in Education and Outreach activities as both a coach and mentor to aspiring percussionists. Adams left PSO in 2010 to pursue other interests and joined the faculty at the

as their Chair of the Percussion Department in 2010. In March 2021, Adams was given the Mildred Goodrum Heyward Distinguished Professor title at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music in honor of his "significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling his regular academic responsibilities."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Timothy Jr. Living people 1969 births American timpanists People from Georgia (U.S. state) Butler University faculty University of Georgia faculty Carnegie Mellon University faculty