Erich Rieppel

Biography

Minnesota native Erich Rieppel joined the Minnesota Orchestra as principal timpani in 2018. Prior to that, he held the same title at New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas in Miami Beach, Florida. Rieppel has performed as principal timpanist with the Seoul Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Hawaii Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, New Jersey Symphony and Snoop Dogg. Since 2013, he has played timpani and percussion with the Lakes Area Music Festival in northern Minnesota. Since 2023, he has performed as timpanist with the Grand Teton Music Festival. In January of 2024, he made his concerto debut with the National Symphony of Panamá. He also led a co-commission and performance of Andy Akiho’s Timpani Concerto in his solo debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in May of 2026.

Believing in being a multi-faceted musician, Rieppel has experience in arts administration, college teaching, music librarianship, composition and conducting. He made his professional conducting debut with the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra in 2013 and returned in the spring of 2022 and fall of 2023 to conduct with his father, Dr. Daniel Rieppel, as soloist. As a teacher, Rieppel has served on faculty at the University of Minnesota and has given masterclasses at the New World Symphony, Indiana University, Seoul Performing Arts Center, Sinfónica Azteca in México, the Ibera Academy in Medellín, Colombia, and the University of Panamá, among others. As a chamber musician, Rieppel co-founded Sticks and Hammers, a piano/percussion quartet that includes his father. He is currently president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.

Born in Minneapolis, Rieppel grew up near Marshall, Minnesota, and received early inspiration from his parents, both professional musicians. He attended Indiana University for his bachelor’s degree with a minor in conducting and master’s degree where he studied a variety of percussion with John Tafoya, Kevin Bobo, Steve Houghton and Michael Spiro. He has also studied with Josef Gumpinger, David Herbert, Shannon Wood, Ed Stephan, Tom Freer and other artists of great influence. He spent one summer at the Aspen Music Festival and three winters at the New York String Orchestra Seminar.

Rieppel proudly endorses Freer Percussion Products and Pearl/Adams percussion. In his free time, he plays hockey and performs on drum set with a variety of bands around Minneapolis.