Charles Settle

Biography

Charles Settle, Principal Percussionist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra joined the orchestra in the 2017/2018 season. Charles was previously a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 2004-2017.

During the 2008-2009 season, Charles took a one-year leave of absence from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and joined the New York Philharmonic as Percussion and Assistant Principal Timpanist. While in New York, Charles also performed with the Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra during their residency in Carnegie Hall of the complete Mahler Symphonies under the baton of Pierre Boulez. He also performed with the brass section of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a brass/percussion concert recorded live at Riverside Cathedral.

In the summers, Charles performs with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Sun Valley, Idaho where he performs orchestral, chamber and solo music. He also performs in the Strings music festival in Steamboat Springs, CO as well as in the Toronto Summer Music Festival. From 2000-2004, Charles was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL (America’s training orchestra) under the baton and tutelage of Michael Tilson Thomas. During this time, Charles also performed as a substitute musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Charles has also performed with the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Charles made his debut solo appearance in September 2015 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, performing Avner Dorman’s concerto for two percussionists Spices, Perfumes and Toxins with Robert Spano conducting.

An active educator, Charles has given masterclasses at the University of Toronto, The Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Florida (Miami, FL), DePaul University in Chicago, Manhattan School of Music, Interlochen Arts Camp, New World Symphony, and the Curtis Institute of Music where he visits annually. From 2013-2017, Settle was an adjunct faculty member at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. He also coached the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2004-2015. Charles joined the faculty of the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2017 and the University of Toronto in 2018. He also coaches the percussion section of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and has worked with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Charles was born in Princeton, KY where his love of music began. He continued his high school studies and graduated high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy. His Bachelor of Music is from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Michael Bookspan and Don Liuzzi. Charles serves as an Artist and Clinician for Zildjian Cymbals, Freer Percussion, and Pearl/Adams Drums.

When Charles is not performing, you can find him playing outside with his 2 young children or enjoying a glass of wine with his wife or walking his Black Lab Lava in Toronto’s east end.