The Florida Orchestra

John Shaw, Principal
Percussion
The Dick & Helen Minck Chair

John Shaw is the principal percussionist with The Florida Orchestra, a position he has held since 1996.  He previously served as a section percussionist with The Florida Orchestra beginning in 1992. 

A native of Milton, Florida, Shaw earned a bachelor's degree in music from Florida State University, where he studied with Gary Werdesheim, and a master's degree in music from Temple University as a student of Alan Abel.  He received additional training at the Aspen Music Festival and Grand Tetons Orchestral Seminar.

In addition to his duties with The Florida Orchestra, Shaw is the head of the percussion studio at St. Petersburg College, where he teaches lessons, percussion ensemble, and steel drum band.  In 2008, he joined the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In March of 2000, Shaw made his first appearance as a soloist with The Florida Orchestra, performing the Concerto for Percussion by Joseph Schwantner.  His seven-member steel drum band, the Tampa Bay Steel Orchestra, was featured with The Florida Orchestra in March 2005 in a program entitled Music of the Islands as part of the orchestra’s Pops series; the performance coincided with the release of the band’s first recording. The band returned to play with The Florida Orchestra in October of 2009. In November of 2005, Shaw was once again featured as one of four soloists in Bartok’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Percussion.  In December of 2008, he performed James MacMillan’s percussion concerto, Veni, veni Emmanuel as part of The Florida Orchestra’s Masterworks series.

Shaw lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Florida Orchestra Principal Harpist Anna Kate Mackle, their three children Avery, Audrey and Madeline, and Louise the cat.

E-mail:  p.drummer@yahoo.com 
Website:  www.tampabaysteelorchestra.com 

Shaw was featured in Tampa Bay Times' Meet Your Florida Orchestra Musician series. Click here to read the article.

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