Manhattan native Theo Kalaitzis is an active freelance timpanist in the New York music scene. He regularly performs as timpanist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and has performed with orchestras across the country including the Kansas City Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and Boise Philharmonic. Theo has held timpani positions with the Spokane Symphony and Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Theo holds a Bachelor of Music from the Mannes School of Music, where he studied with Joe Tompkins and Mike Werner. He completed his graduate degree at DePaul University, where his primary teachers were Eric Millstein and Marc Damoulakis. Theo has also done additional study with Tom Freer at Cleveland State University and extensive postgraduate study with Jason Haaheim of the Metropolitan Opera.