George Brown has been Timpanist of the Utah Symphony since 1987. With an early background that includes work with military bands as well as with orchestras on both sides of the Rio Grande, Brown has been a witness, and an occasional insider, to the evolution of the American orchestra industry – and from a variety of perspectives – over nearly half a century.
Through his regional work with Utah’s Musicians’ Union, and more widely with the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (www.ICSOM.org), George has represented and advocated for his orchestra colleagues both at home and nationally, and has been a strong voice for orchestras and the performing arts in America. He has also mentored several generations of students, as both a private teacher and clinician, at colleges and universities for over thirty years.
Currently on (what he considers to be a well earned) Sabbatical from the Utah Symphony’s 2018-‘19 season, George and his Wife Shirley are traveling through Mexico and South America, indulging their passions to be immersed in the arts, histories and cuisines of these extraordinary cultures, sharing (hopefully) entertaining stories, photos and insights along the way.