Andrew Harris

Canadian percussionist and educator Andrew Harris is based in Ottawa where he enjoys performing with many of the finest ensembles in the region. Andrew is Principal Timpani & Percussion with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and has performed regularly with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with ensembles including Ottawa Choral Society, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Touring Broadway Productions, and the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. Andrew has been the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Harold Crabtree Award (NAC Orchestra Bursary), the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, and the Marusia Yaworska Scholarship. 

As a chamber musician Andrew has performed with ensembles such as the Bel Canto Wind Quintet, Capital BrassWorks, and numerous percussion ensembles. He has appeared regularly in festivals including Music and Beyond and Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. 

Also an avid educator, Andrew enjoys instructing both privately and in group settings. He is Coordinator of the Percussion Sector at the University of Ottawa where he gives lessons and directs the percussion ensemble. He has been the percussion coach for the Ottawa Youth and Junior Youth Orchestras and frequently runs high school masterclasses and coaching sessions. 

Andrew is a proud artist/endorser of Remo drumheads and Zildjian cymbals. He co-founded and continues to run the percussion-focused instrument rental company Percussion Warehouse.  

Andrew obtained both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees summa cum laude from the University of Ottawa and was a two-time member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Outside of percussion, Andrew enjoys running, playing drum set, and spending time with his wife Victoria and their two daughters.