Musician Biography
The TSO, Your Professional Symphony
Neil Dunn spent most of his childhood outdoors camping and fishing in the mountains near Brigham City, Utah. His father loved classical music and often played it on the radio. It wasn’t until the age of 7 that Neil discovered rock music on his brother’s record player.
“I always wanted to play drums and be in a rock band after hearing the band ‘Rush’ play.”
Plans changed, but the passion for drums remained as he grew. “I knew I would pursue music as a career when I was a freshman in college.”
Neil heard the Utah Symphony play Beethoven and Stravinsky and it solidified his passion for classical music. He then studied music at Weber State University and later the University of Arizona where he earned his master’s degree.
Giving up his successful teaching studio and senior accompanist position in Arizona, Neil and his wife moved to Kansas for her to teach at K-State. He became a percussion instructor at K-State and joined the Topeka Symphony Orchestra as the Timpani player. Neil continues to play with the Arizona Opera Orchestra in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.
“I start any project with research on style, orchestration, and how my part fits with the orchestra. This informs different aspects of my performance such as mallet choices and instrument choice. It is not about the number of hours spent practicing, it is about the quality of time spent.”
After every performance, Neil hopes that the audience is inspired to listen further, just as he was inspired by his favorite music as a kid.