Erich Rieppel plays Andy Akiho's Timpani Concerto | Minnesota Orchestra | Domingo Hindoyan

Andy Akiho, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and seven-time Grammy nominee who began his career as a steel pan performer, composed his Timpani Concerto as a tribute to Leonardo R. Soto Jr., principal timpanist of the Houston Symphony. The concerto grew from close collaboration between composer and soloist, with its three movement titles built around the word "soto"—a reference to the soloist's name that also means "outside" in Japanese and "grove" in Spanish, honoring both musicians' heritages. The work was commissioned jointly by the Houston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and Brevard Music Festival. The concerto reimagines the timpani as a lyrical, virtuosic solo voice rather than the orchestral foundation it traditionally provides. Sotogawa explores the instrument's outer sonic edges through specially prepared drumheads that create stick shots, rim knocks and glissandi, gradually giving way to natural resonance. Sotto Voce transforms the timpani into a singing bass voice beneath the orchestra, anchored by a meditative chord in hand chime, Thai nipple gong and vibraphone. The finale, Sottosopra, inverts the traditional orchestra-soloist relationship entirely: the timpani leads with a compelling melodic groove while the orchestra provides harmonic support, building through metallic and industrial textures toward a thrilling, antiphonal close. Conductor Domingo Hindoyan led the Minnesota Orchestra with Principal Timpani Erich Rieppel as soloist in this performance on May 29, 2026.