Eric Schweikert

Eric Schweikert is a timpanist appearing as soloist with the Seattle Symphony in November 2026. He performs the world premiere of Joe Pereira's Timpani Concerto, a Seattle Symphony co-commission, on a program that also includes Mozart's Requiem.

These concerts put the timpani, usually heard supporting the orchestra from the back of the stage, at the center of attention. Joe Pereira's Timpani Concerto is a new work, receiving its world premiere here as a Seattle Symphony co-commission, so listeners get to hear how a contemporary composer writes for an instrument built from a set of large tuned drums, exploring its range of pitch, color, and rhythmic drive in dialogue with the full orchestra. The second half turns to Mozart's Requiem in D minor, the composer's final, unfinished work, a setting of the Latin funeral mass marked by dramatic contrasts between hushed choral writing and forceful, dark-hued outbursts. Together the program moves from the timpani as a solo voice to its familiar role underpinning the weight and drama of a large choral and orchestral work.