Billy Schlitt

Bill Schlitt is an accomplished percussion performer and educator.  A native of Southern California, he has been active in the music industry for over 40 years.  His teachers include Hollywood studio legends Hal Rees and Earl Hatch and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Percussionist, Raynor Carroll.  He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.

Bill has performed 13 years as a freelance recording percussionist for various motion picture and television films as well as numerous audio recordings.  He has performed 40 years as a freelance percussionist in various ensembles throughout Southern California, including stage productions, concerts, commercial music and church productions.  He served as Principal Percussionist with San Gabriel Civic Light Opera and Music Theater of Southern California for 10 years.  He has performed as an extra percussionist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and is currently Principal Timpanist with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra; a position he has held for 23 years.  He has performed under such conductors as Pierre Boulez, Robert Shaw, Christoph Eschenbach and Esa Pekka Solonen and premiered a work by composer John Cage.

Bill is an accomplished educator, clinician and author of various percussion textbooks.  He was Director of Percussion for the Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Festival for 26 years where he coached students from around the world to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.  He was also on the faculty of the Idyllwild Arts Academy for 6 years.

Bill has been on the faculty at University of Redlands for 27 years teaching percussion classes and directing the Percussion Ensemble.  He is also currently on the faculty at Azusa Pacific University, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Concordia University-Irvine, Vanguard University and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and Percussive Arts Society.

• B.A., California Polytechnic University

• B.S., California Polytechnic University