Kimberly Toscano Adams

Ms. Toscano is formerly the Principal Timpanist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, a position she won by unanimous decision in May 2007 and held until 2016.  Her dynamic and virtuosic timpani facility brings an energy and rhythmic stability to the stage that has been recognized by colleagues, reviewers, and audience members alike.  Following her first appearance with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, James Reel noted, “…and new timpanist Kimberly Toscano played with both forcefulness and control.”

Prior to coming to Athens, Toscano was Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at the University of Arizona, a position she held for five years, including one semester as Acting Head of Percussion, until relocating to Athens, GA.  Toscano’s students have been repeat winners of concerto and young artist competitions, and can regularly been seen as participants of renowned music festivals such as the Aspen Music festival, Pacific Music Festival, Juilliard Percussion Camp, and Brevard Music Center.

Ms. Toscano enjoys a varied career, having performed as percussionist and timpanist with a number of orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Chamber Orchestra of Boston.  As a fellowship recipient of prestigious music festivals nationally and internationally, Ms. Toscano has attended the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan and the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland where she shared the stage with such esteemed conductors as Riccardo Muti, Valerie Gergiev, and Andrey Boreyko and collaborated with the musicians of the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as principal players of major orchestras throughout the United States.

As a published author, Ms. Toscano has contributed to Tomtom Magazine as Orchestral Correspondent.  This publication and website is the only one of its kind and is dedicated exclusively to female drummers and percussionists.

A native of New York, Ms. Toscano holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Hofstra University, where she graduated cum laude and was granted membership into the national music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Golden Key International Honour Society.  She then went on to attend the New England Conservatory where she received a Master of Music in Percussion Performance, graduating with Academic Honors.  Upon completing her Masters Degree, she continued her post-graduate studies at New England Conservatory.  Ms. Toscano was then invited to attend Carnegie Mellon University’s Performance Residency Program, which she participated in for one year, before being hired by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. 

Having received multiple honors and distinctions throughout her career, Ms. Toscano was featured in Golden Key International Honour Society’s April 2008 eNewsletter as an outstanding Alumna.  The article highlighted her accomplishment as Principal Timpanist of an orchestra as a rarity among females.  Later, in April 2010, Ms. Toscano was again honored as a distinguished Alumna of Hofstra University. 

Ms. Toscano can be heard on Analekta Records and is a proud Evans Drumheads Concert Artist and Mike Balter Mallets artist.