Kevin Watkins

Kevin Watkins has been a member of the Minnesota Orchestra percussion section since 1999. Prior to joining Minnesota, Kevin was member of the Fort Wayne Philhar-monic for two seasons. Recently, Kevin has been serving as Acting Associate Principal Timpanist in Minnesota and guest instructing at the Peabody Conservatory. A native of Kansas City, he studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Michael Rosen, and then at Cleveland State University with Tom Freer.

Throughout his career, Kevin has also performed and recorded with many other orchestras including The Philharmonia, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Over the past several years, Kevin has regularly performed on timpani and percussion at the Lakes Area Music Festival.

Kevin’s hobbies include golfing, running, fishing, and preparing Kansas City style bar-becue on his CS-680 wood pellet smoker. He and his wife, Kathryn Bennett, recently welcomed the addition of their first child, Dylan, to their family.