Theresa Dimond
Percussion

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Theresa Dimond began her percussion studies with Mervin Britton at age 8. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she attended the University of Southern California where she studied with Ken Watson, earning a B.M., M.M. and D.M.A. in Music Performance. Additional teachers and mentors include the late Mitchell Peters (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Neil De Ponte (Oregon Symphony), F. Michael Combs (formerly of the University of Tennessee) and the late Charlie Owens (Philadelphia Orchestra).

Dr. Dimond is the principal percussionist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and has been a member of the orchestra since its inception in 1985. In addition to her position at LA Opera, she is Principal Percussion of the Pasadena Symphony and Pops and Principal Timpanist of Muse/ique, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the California Philharmonic. She has worked with many preeminent conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, Jeffrey Kahane, Placido Domingo, Herbert Blomstedt, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel and James Conlon. A highlight of her career has been performing with soprano Dawn Upshaw and members of the Boston Symphony on a contemporary music tour. Dr. Dimond has also appeared as a soloist at the Aspen, Sun Valley and Tanglewood Summer Music Festivals.

Dr. Dimond serves on the faculties of UCLA, Pomona College, Whittier College and Cerritos College. She previously taught at her alma mater, USC. In 1998, she founded TouchDown Publications, a music publishing company which edits and publishes opera percussion parts.

One of a handful of experts on the cimbalom, a Hungarian hammered dulcimer, she has performed with Pierre Boulez, Lalo Schifrin, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kurt Masur, Dawn Upshaw and Grant Gershon, on that specialty instrument. Her recording credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Far from Heaven, Rush Hour 3, Rocky 5, Edward Scissorhands, and the soon to be released, Killers of the Flower Moon, to name but a few.

When not teaching or performing, Dr. Dimond makes her home in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, with her husband, Jim, and their neurotic cat, Widgie.