10/16/2026
Welcome to Friendly Face Fridays! Each Friday we are sharing one of our amazing musicians, so you'll always be able to find a Friendly Face in the orchestra.
Meet Keith Hammer, Percussion.
Based in Davenport, Keith Hammer is an active performer and educator, specializing in orchestral percussion and timpani. He has performed in various professional ensembles, such as the Houston Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Des Moines Metro Opera Festival Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and West Point Military Band. He has performed at multiple well-regarded venues such as The Met Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.
He received a Master and Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Rice University under the tutelage of Matthew Strauss and the late Richard Brown, and a Master of Music from Bard College through his participation in The Orchestra Now as their Timpani Fellow.
In addition to performing, he has held multiple teaching positions at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR, Harding University in Searcy, AR, and Arkansas State University – Beebe in Beebe, AR.
In his free time, Keith enjoys spending time with his friends, playing volleyball in the summer, and going on walks out in parks around the Quad Cities.
You might also recognize Keith as the wielder of the Mahler Hammer during last year's Masterworks VI concert.
