Biography

Curriculum Vitae

Arnold F. Riedhammer, percussionist and composer much sought after in the fields of classical music as well as rock, pop and jazz, was born on April 9^th, in Somerville, New Jersey, USA, of American-German parents. From 1966 to 1970, he studied at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, passing his final examination with honours in 1970.

After winning the position as solo timpanist in Nuremberg (Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra) 1970-1971
he also won the position as solo timpanist at the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, (the former capitol of Germany) 1971-1974
Riedhammer won the solo percussionist/timpanist position with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 1974, playing there for 43 years.
He is also a Professor of percussion at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich, Germany since 1974.

Many of my students have become very successful professional percussionists, winning outstanding positions in top orchestras around the world. For example,

Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Bavarian Broadcasting Company, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich
Beethoven Orchestra, Bonn
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Elbphilharmonic Orchestra NDR Hamburg
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig
Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Japan
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
Nürnberg Philharmonic Orchestra
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Japan
Staatskapelle Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar
State Theater at the Gärtnerplatz, Munich
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Japan
Tonhalle Orchestra, Zürich, Switzerland
WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cologne
Würzburg Philharmonic Orchestra

and many more.

1980: Masters Degree at the National Academy of Music Trossingen (instrument: solo percussion).
1981: National Sponsorship Award for percussion – the first time ever a percussionist received this award in Germany.
1999 and 2002 Arnold won the German Grammy Award “Echo Preis” with recordings for Universal and Sony Classic
2009 the Award Munich Shines for outstanding accomplishments in the field of Music from the city of Munich
2009 the Bavarian Culture Award

Numerous TV, radio and record productions featuring percussion concerts, for example, with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on Second German TV.

2000 Arnold’s Solo-CD “Percussion goes Pop” (KOCH CLASSICS) with all his compositions released.

Riedhammer wrote several title songs and music for commercials commissioned by the Bavarian Broadcasting Co.

He also wrote several percussion pieces for ZIMMERMANN/Frankfurt and STUDIO 4 MUSIC/Los Angeles, MostlyMarimba USA, Kendor Music, Inc. USA etc.

As a classical percussionist he has performed, for example, with Leonard Bernstein, Sergiu Celebidache, Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa, Sir George Solti, Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Christian Thielemann, Kent Nagano, Michael Tilson Thomas etc.

In the field of pop and rock music, he has recorded and toured with: The Rolling Stones, Freddie Mercury and Queen, Liza Minelli, Liberace, Chris de Burgh, Donna Summer, Randy Crawford, Henri Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmar Bernstein, Lawrence Rosenthal, Alex North etc.

Additionally, Arnold gives clinics, courses and workshops and plays solo percussion concerts both in Germany and abroad.

He is the drummer of one of the most successful groups in Europe called “Blechschaden” –They have won the German Grammy Award “Echo Preis” twice and play 80 concerts throughout Europe every year.