John Bannon has been the principal timpanist with The Florida Orchestra since 1988. He has served in the same position with the Anchorage Symphony, Oklahoma Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria in Mexico City, Honolulu Symphony, and Colorado Music Festival. In addition, he was a percussionist with the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony from 1973 to 1978. He has served as conductor of the Oklahoma City University Concert Band and Wind Ensemble and associate conductor of the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra. His guest conducting appearances also include the Pinellas Youth Symphony, the Florida Youth Orchestra, and the FloriMezzo Orchestra. In addition, Bannon conducts the band and orchestra and teaches conducting at St. Petersburg College as well as teaches percussion at Hillsborough Community College. During the summer, he coaches chamber music and teaches percussion at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont.

He received his early musical training in the public schools in Anchorage, Alaska and in St. Petersburg, where he graduated from Northeast High School. He earned degrees in percussion performance from the University of South Florida (B.A.), the University of Michigan (M.M.), and in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Miami (D.M.A.). He studied timpani and percussion with Saul Goodman, Robert McCormick, Charles Owen, Salvatore Rabbio, and Cloyd Duff.

Bannon lives in St. Petersburg with his wife Carmen Newell Bannon, who is a flutist with the Sarasota Orchestra, and their two children.

bannon.john@spcollege.edu