Robert Pangborn

Percussionist born in Painesville, Ohio, US. His early training was with his uncle, William Hruby at the Hruby Conservatory of Music in Cleveland. He later studied with Cloyd Duff at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Roman Sculz at the Berkshire Music Festival, William Street at the Eastman School of Music and Morris Goldenberg at Julliard. His military service was spent as a percussionist with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. Before joining the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1964, Robert Pangborn held the positions of principal timpanist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, mallet percussionist with the Cleveland Orchestra, and timpanist/percussionist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City. In addition to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra he formed several chamber percussion groups including the Detroit Percussion Trio, 4 for Percussion and Mostly Mallets. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he performed as set drummer with Symphonic Metamorphosis a “cross-over” pop-rock group.