World's First Distributed Timpani Master Class

The University of Florida's Digital Worlds Institute and Miami's New World Symphony co-hosted the world's first distributed timpani Master Class between the Atlanta Symphony and the New World Symphony. Both timpanists saw and heard each other over DVD quality video links with stereo CD quality audio in real time.

The University of Florida's Digital Worlds Institute and Miami's New World Symphony co-hosted the world's first distributed timpani Master Class between Atlanta Symphony timpanist Mark Yancich (located at the UF Digital Worlds Institute in Gainesville, Florida) and timpanist Alex Orfaly of the New World Symphony (located in Miami, Florida). The Master Class was based on performance preparations for Oliverio's "Timpani Concerto #1" (The Olympian) with all audio and video transmitted over high-quality Internet2 during the session.

Both timpanists saw and heard each other over DVD quality video links with stereo CD quality audio in real time. Online observers around the world were also able to tune into a simultaneous webcast of the Master Class. UF percussion professor Dr. Ken Broadway and his students were present at the Digital Worlds REVE to observe the Master Class interaction.

Mark C. Yancich - Timpanist

Principal Timpanist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1981, Mark Yancich is also active as a clinician, chamber musician, soloist, music publisher and at Emory University where he annually hosts the Mark Yancich Timpani Class each January, as well as The Atlanta Percussion (TAP) Seminar each June. He can be heard on over 95 recordings with the Atlanta Symphony, including most of the great choral/orchestral repertoire with Robert Shaw conducting. This is Mr. Yancich's first appearance at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Mark is featured on the performance video of the recital version of James Oliverio's "Timpani Concerto #1," and can also be seen on the "Art of Timpani" educational videos entitled, "Changing and Tuning Plastic Timpani Heads with Mark Yancich," "Tucking Calfskin Timpani Heads with Cloyd Duff," and the recently released (October 2003) video "Sewing Felt Timpani Sticks."