Rosenthal Family Chair in Memory of Miriam Rosenthal in Honor of Donald Donnett, Principal Timpani 1966-2023
Hamza Able joined the Dayton Philharmonic as Principal Timpani in 2025. He also currently serves as Principal Timpani of the Spokane Symphony. Prior to these appointments, he was Principal Timpani of The Orchestra Now.
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Hamza began his musical journey in Jacksonville, Florida, where he first learned to play the flute before making the leap from melody to rhythm with percussion. At age 14, he joined the Jacksonville Youth Orchestra and fell in love with the timpani, setting the course for his musical career.
Hamza earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Christopher Lamb, Duncan Patton, She-e Wu, and Kyle Zerna. He went on to complete graduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying under Don Liuzzi, Eric Millstein, and Robert van Sice. Hamza also served as Principal Timpani of the New York String Seminar, performing at Carnegie Hall. During his summers, he was Principal Timpanist of the National Repertory Orchestra, where he performed William Kraft’s Timpani Concerto with renowned soloist Steve Schick conducting. He has also participated in the Eastern Music Festival and the Miami Music Festival.
Hamza has had the privilege of working with conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Alexander Shelley, Osmo Vänskä, Michael Stern, Gerard Schwarz, Peter Oundjian, and Teddy Abrams. He has been a finalist multiple times in the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions Excerpt Competition. He has also appeared as guest principal timpanist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and Toledo Symphony.
Outside of music, Hamza is getting married in December 2025 and enjoys exploring new places and cuisines with his fiancée. His hobbies include fitness, mixed martial arts, and competitive e-sports.