Mark Guthrie is Principal Timpanist and Artist in Residence of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Raymond Harvey. This season, Mr. Guthrie premiered his own composition on the Symphony’s Chamber Series. Fantasy for Oboe and Timpani (mp3), based on a Theme by G.F. Handel received rave review. At the end of the Kalamazoo Symphony season, he will be performing the premier of Tandem Voices for two Pianos and Percussion, by Richard Adams for the Gilmore Piano Festival Concert. Mr. Guthrie has performed as soloist on Bartok’s Concerto for two Pianos and percussion; Russell Peck, Glory and Grandeur and William Kraft Concerto for Four Percussion with the Kalamazoo Symphony.

Mr. Guthrie also performs with the Kalamazoo Symphony Percussion Duo. This group performs educational and innovative percussion repertoire throughout the West Michigan Area. At the College level, Mr. Guthrie is on the faculty of Kalamazoo College and is the Director of the Kalamazoo College Percussion Ensemble. He presents Master classes and Clinics in Michigan and around the country. Mr. Guthrie has performed with Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, South Bend Symphony, I Musici de Montreal for the Gilmore Piano Festival, Indiana Symphony, Toledo Opera Association Orchestra, Michigan Bach Colleguim, and Bach Festival Orchestra. Mr. Guthrie's principal teachers are Paul Yancich, timpanist - The Cleveland Orchestra; Cloyd Duff, Former Timpanist - The Cleveland Orchestra; and Robert Bell, Timpanist - Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Guthrie graduated with Cum Laude honors from the University of Toledo.

In 1984, Mr. Guthrie founded Precision Classic Timpani. As a timpanist, he wanted timpani that would be portable and have a chain drive system that was smooth and not complex. The current chain system has been developed so that the timpani can be tuned at each lug station with a tuning key. As Mr. Guthrie has stated, "My main goal was to have a chain timpani that fine tunes the same way as my Dresden Timpani." This mechanism has been produced along with a proven bowl design that gives the performer the ultimate in sound and reliability.