Ben Harms’ career as a percussionist includes performing medieval and renaissance music with Calliope Renaissance Band, Boston Camerata, Crescendo, and other ensembles.  He has played timpani with the Boston Early Music Festival, Trinity Baroque, New York Collegium and numerous other ensembles.  He is a long-serving percussionist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; also, with the Met he has played recorder in several productions alongside Stephen Hammer.

Ben holds degrees from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Curtis Institute, and City University of New York. His percussion teachers were Edward Wuebold and Fred Hinger.  He was also a Fulbright scholar to Germany.  Ben makes historical percussion instruments at his workshop in New Marlborough, Massachusetts.  The instruments played in today’s concert were fabricated in 1984.