Preston Spisak

Preston Spisak’s deep love for classical music inspires him to devote his life to the
mastery of his art form. Spisak was recently appointed Principal Timpanist of the Las Vegas
Philharmonic, where he performs at the Smith Center, and has worked most notably under
music director Rei Hotoda as well as maestro Leonard Slatkin. At the end of the 2026-27 LV
Philharmonic season, Spisak will perform James Oliverio’s Double Timpani Concerto with
Jauvon Gilliam.

Beyond his role in Las Vegas, Spisak is also an active freelancer, most recently serving
as a regular Principal Timpani substitute with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in Southern
California for the 2025-26 season, where he performed major classics programs with Alexander
Shelley as well as Carl St. Clair. Spisak has formerly held Principal Timpani/Percussion
positions with the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles, American Youth Symphony, and California
Young Artists Symphony.

As he balances his professional and freelance roles, Spisak is currently pursuing his
Masters degree at the Julliard School, where he is the proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship
and studies under Principal Timpanist of the New York Philharmonic, Markus Rhoten. Spisak
received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California where he studied with
members of the L.A. Philharmonic, Joseph Pereira and Jim Babor. A native of Greenville, South
Carolina, Spisak received the majority of his pre-college training from his incredible mentor,
Wesley Strasser, at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville.

Spisak is an active participant in summer music festivals and has taken part in the
National Orchestral Institute + Festival, Round Top Festival Orchestra, and National Youth
Orchestra, which collectively afforded him opportunities to perform at the Washington
National Cathedral with Marin Alsop, and at a variety of prominent venues across Europe with
maestro Daniel Harding. In the summer of 2026, Spisak is traveling to Japan for 3 weeks of
performances with the Pacific Music Festival orchestra, including a finale at Suntory Hall in
Tokyo.