Skip to main content

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

  • What's on
  • Your Visit
  • About Us
  • Take part
  • Support us
  • My Account
  • Search

Site Menu.

Main Site Sections.

  • What's on
  • Your Visit
  • About Us
  • Take part
  • Support us
  • Digital Programmes

More Site Pages.

  • My Account
Return to main

Loading...

Percussion

Toby Kearney

Principal Percussion and Timpani
Headshot of percussionist Toby Kearney

Toby is Principal Percussion and Timpani of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Head of Percussion at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, regularly plays as Principal Percussion of Britten Sinfonia and is half of the renowned percussion duo ‘O Duo’.

Since winning the percussion section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2006 Toby has had a hugely varied career. His concerto performances include James Macmillan’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel, Stockhausen’s Lucifer’s Tanz, Matthew Sergeant’s Percussion Concerto and Avner Dorman’s double percussion concerto Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!

Since graduating from the RNCM and RCM, Toby has gone on to play with many UK orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert and Symphony Orchestras, the Halle, the John Wilson Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Toby regularly coaches the percussion section of the National Children’s Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Percussion Orchestra and the Ulster Youth Orchestra. He has also played drum and percussion for some of the top UK folk singers including Emily Portman, Martin Simpson, Fay Hield and MG Boulter.

Photograph of Toby Kearney and other percussionists performing at Symphony Hall

Live in concert

  • Centre Stage at Symphony Hall: Music for Two Pianos and Percussion

  • Centre Stage: American Percussion

  • Family Concert: Music from the Movies

  • Philip Glass' Double Timpani Concerto

Supported by Angela O’Farrell and Michael Lynes

Meet more of our players

  • Headshot of percussionist Aidy Spillett

    Adrian Spillett

    Section Leader Percussion
  • Photograph of percussionist Matthew Hardy sitting on a flight of stairs and smiling whilst he holds timpani malletts

    Matthew Hardy

    Section Leader Timpani
  • Headshot of percussionist Andrew Herbert

    Andrew Herbert

    Principal Percussion and Player Nominated Trustee

Further content for Toby Kearney

Keep exploring... Meet the whole Orchestra

Photograph of Kazuki Yamada conducting the orchestra at Symphony Hall

Contact Details

(0121) 616 6500 information@cbso.co.uk

More Site Pages

  • News & Stories
  • Jobs
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Hire

Legal Pages

  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Site Map
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Principal Funders

Supported using public funding by Arts Council EnglandSCC

Small Print

©2025. The CBSO is a registered charity in England (No. 506276).

Address: CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF

Website by Supercool.