Houston Civic Symphony

Photo by Kennon Evett

Brian Del Signore is the Principal Percussionist and Associate Principal Timpanist of Houston Symphony. Brian joined Houston Symphony in 1986. Prior to the Houston Symphony appointment, he held a one year position as principal percussionist of the Grand Rapids Symphony in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and performed with the Kalamazoo and Lansing symphonies while there. Before moving to Michigan, Brian performed in many orchestras in Pennsylvania and New Jersey including both the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Brian Del Signore earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1981, where he studied with the Pittsburgh Symphony percussionists. In 1984, Mr. Del Signore earned a Masters in Music from Temple University where he studied with Alan Abel of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He began piano lessons at age six and drums at age eleven. His first drum teacher in the late 1960’s was Lou Carto, pop star Bobby Vinton’s drummer and bandleader at that time.

Besides keeping a very busy schedule with Houston Symphony performances, Brian maintains an education and outreach schedule, presenting educational percussion programs in elementary schools, and percussion clinics in high schools across the Houston area. “Digital Recording Tools for the Performing Musician” is a clinic and master class for college aged percussionists and musicians which explores the use of recording technology to critique and improve performance ability. This clinic and master class has been presented by Mr. Del Signore at various music schools around the USA including Baylor University, Texas A&M Commerce, Sam Houston State University, New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Yale University, The Julliard School, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, Curtis Institute of Music, Temple University, Peabody Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland Institute of Music, The Colburn School in Los Angeles, and San Francisco Conservatory.

Brian Del Signore endorses manufacturers of high quality percussion instruments and accessories. These companies: Remo Corporation, Sabian Cymbals, Pearl/Adams Percussion, ProMark Sticks, and Black Swamp Percussion, as well as The Houston Symphony League Bay Area support Mr. Del Signore’s educational and outreach programs. For more information on these educational programs please visit www.briandelsignore.com.

Brian and his wife Leah have three college aged children, Damian, Dominique and Dione,